MANILA, Philippines - A military officer urged the Philippine National Police yesterday to recall the 100-strong PNP contingent deployed as security inside the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) compound in Tandang Sora, Quezon City.
The officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the INC started employing the security services of uniformed personnel during the Marcos regime.
He said the now defunct Philippine Constabulary (PC) granted the religious group’s request to put up a command post inside the INC compound.
“The number of uniformed personnel deployed on rotation basis inside the INC compound increased to around 100 through the years. It’s a legalized private army in there,” the official said.
According to the military official, the police officers tasked to secure the compound are all members of the INC and handpicked from various police units at Camp Crame.
“Since the PNP is now conducting an investigation of some INC leaders for the alleged kidnapping of its former ministers, the police leadership should recall the 100 police personnel deployed to the INC central office as well as their issued rifles,” he said.
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He lamented that the PNP has lost control over these police officers as they were allegedly taking orders from the INC leadership and not from Camp Crame.
The PNP has been supplying the INC with the latest firearms and patrol cars for their own use.
“Ganoon kalakas ang INC sa government simula pa ng Marcos era (That’s how powerful the INC since the Marcos era),” he said.
The military official asked the PNP to investigate the Quezon City policemen tagged in the kidnapping of former INC minister Lowell Menorca in Sorsogon.
“It’s possible that these policemen were directly involved in the kidnapping of Menorca and his family. The police contingent must be disbanded immediately,” he said.
