(Eagle News) – More aspirants for national elective posts visited the Iglesia Ni Cristo Central Office to make their respective courtesy calls to INC Executive Minister Brother Eduardo V. Manalo as they sought the Church’s support for the May 9 elections.
Presidential candidate Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, and the administration’s vice-presidential candidate, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, were among those who visited the INC’s main office to see and talk to Brother Eduardo.
Another was senatorial candidate of the Liberal Party, former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, who said she is also seeking the INC’s support on election day which is just more than a week away.
De Lima said that as a “political neophyte”, she needed the INC’s support, and that she made the courtesy call to the INC Executive Minister to let him know that she was running for senator.
She said that she recognized the importance of the support of a big organization such as the Iglesia Ni Cristo for her candidacy.
“Pumunta po ako para ipaalam sa kanya (Ka Eduardo) ang tungkol aking pagtakbo bilang senador…. Bilang isang political neophyte ay ninanais ko naman to reach out to all groups, to all sectors – even religious groups. Kinakausap ko naman po halos lahat ng mga grupo para humiling ng suporta kung maaari. (I came here to let him [Brother Eduardo] know about my running for senator. As a neophyte politician, I want to reach out to all groups, to all sectors, even religious groups. I talk to all groups to seek support if that is possible),” she said in an interview after the courtesy call.
She added that she gave Brother Eduardo a written copy of her platform.
“Tututok lang po tayo sa hustisya, rule of law, anti-corruption, human rights. Binigyan ko po ng kopya, written paper po, si Ka Eduardo, ng aking plataporma. (I will focus on justice, the rule of law, anti-corruption, human rights. I gave a copy, a written paper, of my platform to Ka Eduardo),” she explained.
The administration’s vice-presidential bet, Robredo, on the other hand, came about a week after Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas made a courtesy call to the INC leader.
Roxas was accompanied by his wife, broadcaster Korina Sanchez when he made his courtesy call to Brother Eduardo on April 19. (see https://www.eaglenews.ph/mar-roxas-pays-courtesy-call-on-iglesia-ni-cristo-executive-minister-bro-eduardo-v-manalo/)
Some senatorial candidates also visited the INC Central Office on Wedneday to meet and have a chance to talk to the INC Executive Minister, as they sought the Church’s support for the elections.
Among them are Senator Vicente Sotto III, former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority director general Joel Villanueva, former partylist representative Risa Hontiveros, and former Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chair Francis Tolentino.