Iglesia ni Cristo has sway in government agencies, Osmeña admits

Senator Sergio Osmeña III on Sunday acknowledged the influence of Iglesia ni Cristo in government agencies as he lamented the resignation of Customs Commissioner John Phillip Sevilla, who did so citing political pressure.

 

In an interview over dzBB radio, Osmeña said he was not surprised by Sevilla’s admission last week at the press conference where he announced his resignation that the INC was reportedly pushing for the appointment of certain officials in the bureau. 

 

In particular, Sevilla claimed hearing from others that the INC lobbied for the appointment of Customs Intellectual Property head Teddy Raval as head of Enforcement and Security Service.

 

Reacting to Sevilla’s claim,  Osmeña said: “Di ako nagugulat. Talagang ganoon ang sitwasyon sa iba’t ibang ahensya.”

 

Asked if he was referring to INC’s influence within agencies, the senator replied: “Ah, malakas ang influence ng Iglesia. Di ko naman sinasabing mali ang ginagawa nila. Siyempre kung mayroon naman silang irerekomenda, there’s nothing wrong with that. But to give in and to call it a political pressure ay hindi tama, so kasalanan ng Palasyo yun. Bakit sila nag-give in?”

INC has yet to issue a statement on Sevilla's claim.

 

Osmeña said he considers Sevilla a loss to the Cabinet because he heard the former Customs commissioner was a “very honest” man.

 

“Nakaka-dismaya na pinabayaan lang siya. Nakikita naman ng mga tao na fair naman ang ginagawa niya doon [sa Customs]... [If] somebody is doing well, dapat kumbinsihin mo na mag-stay.”

Aquino could have removed ‘political pressure’

 

He said President Benigno Aquino III could have removed the political pressure Sevilla said was being exerted on him in recent months if he wanted to. “‘Yung political pressure, manggagaling lang yan sa mga kapartido mo eh. Di ba?” he said.

 

The senator also did not discount the possibility that Sevilla might have been forced to quit because of supposed pressure for him to raise P3 billion for the Liberal Party’s  2016 campaign, as the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) has alleged.

Sevilla has already denied that anyone had ever asked him to rais money for the election campaign. 

 

“Puwede ho. Ang dali-daling gamitin ng agency [na ‘yan] kasi pinaka-corrupt na ‘yan di ba?  So there’s a lot of money that is raised there that instead of going into the government’s coffers, it’s going to private pockets,” Osmeña said.

 

Osmeña said he is hopeful Sevilla will name those who have been exerting political pressure on him once the Senate, acting on a resolution that Senator Aquilino Pimentel III will file, starts its investigation on alleged anomalies in the bureau. — Xianne Arcangel/JDS, GMA News