(Eagle News) –Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III expressed support for the appointment of Iglesia Ni Cristo Executive Minister Brother Eduardo V. Manalo as Special Envoy for Overseas Filipinos’ Concerns.
Bello said this move by President Rodrigo Duterte would greatly help the cause of overseas Filipinos.
“Malaking bagay, madami silang congregation. (it’s a big deal. They have many congregations.) He would be a great help to our effort to provide protection to our OFWs,” he said.
The labor chief said he would be more than glad to work and coordinate with work regarding overseas Filipino concerns.
“He is very much welcome, if he wants us to work with him I will just be too glad to work and coordinate with him,” Bello said.
The secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment also cited the stature and reputation of the INC Executive Minister and the Church for helping people all over the world through various programs that touched the lives of not just Filipinos, but those belonging to other nations and cultures as well.
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The INC or Church of Christ is spread over 142 countries with its members not just coming from Filipino communities, but from at least 133 ethnic groups and nationalities.
He said that this will be of great help to the government.
-Extensive network-
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque earlier acknowledged this “extensive network” of the INC or Church of Christ that the Philippine government wanted to tap in addressing the concerns of Filipinos across the globe.
He also clarified that the INC leader would not be receiving any honorarium or budget for his work and that the appointment did not violate the doctrine of separation of Church and State.
“Hindi po, kasi ang separation of Church and State, dalawa po yan: Yung kalayaan na magkaroon ng pananampalataya, tsaka yung kasiguraduhan ng estado mismo ay hindi mag-eendorso ng isang pananampalataya,” Roque explained.
-INC brethren one with the Executive Minister-
The INC has already issued a statement saying that the Church members worldwide are one in expressing their readiness to extend help to the best of their abilities to their fellow Filipinos wherever they may be.
Through a statement released by the INC Public Information Office (INC-PIO) on Thursday, February 15, the INC members unitedly thanked the President for the trust that he placed on the INC leader.
“Nagpapasalamat po tayo sa Mahal na Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte sa kanilang pagtitiwala po sa Kapatid na Eduardo V. Manalo,” said Brother Edwil Zabala of the INC Public Information Office.
“Ang buong kapatiran ng Iglesia Ni Cristo po ay kaisa ng Ka Eduardo na tutulong sa mga kababayan po natin nasaan man po para sa kanilang kapakanan. Kagaya po ng inilunsad na programa po ng Ka Eduardo noon pa, ang ‘Kabayan Ko, Kapatid Ko’–sa abot ng ating makakaya ay lilingap po tayo sa mga kababayan natin nasaan man po sila.”
(Eagle News Service with a release from INC-Public Information Office)
