IGLESIA DOCTRINES EXPOSED, PART 17 (1 0F 2)

This is a continuation of the series.

Q: Who is Rosita Trillanes and why does the Iglesia ni Cristo has been trying to suppress her bitter experience as member of the Iglesia ni Cristo?

A: Rosita Trillanes was a single female convert to the INC who was disowned by her parents after having secretly converted to the Iglesia ni Cristo cult and having sought refuge at the INC, was given sanctuary at the central office of INC founder Felix Y. Manalo, whom Rosita reveres as the messenger of God. Her stay however in that residence became the most bitter and painful experience of her life when FYM spurned of his sexual advances punched her into unconsciousness and had raped her afterwards. Her story was related by her personal letter which was published in the Philippine Gazette in July, 1942. Her lettter in the vernacular (tagalog) is reproduced below. An English translation follows.

From the Philippines' Official Gazette, Vol. 1, July 1942:

"Mga Kapatid:

Dahil sa pag-ibig ko sa Iglesya at ukol sa inyong kabutihan ay sumulat ako sa inyo upang magtapat ng bagay na talagang nangyari sa akin at mga bagay na aking nasaksihan at nalaman sa panahon ng dalawang taong pagkatigil ko sa Central. Ako ay isang dalaga na nagging kaanib sa Iglesya ni Cristo sa Batangas. Ako ay kinapootan at itinakwil ng aking mga magulang. Sa paniwala kong ako'y makakatagpo ng pag--aampon ay pumayag ako kay kapatid na Jacinto Torres na dalhin niya ako sa opisina Central. Noong ako ay naroon ay naranasan ko ang lubhang napakapait at napakasakit sa buhay ng Dalaga gaya noong lapastanganin ako ni Manalo na itinuturing kong isang ama. Noong una ay niligawan niya ako ngunit nang tumanggi ako sa kAnyang mga ninanais ay binugbog at hinataw niya ako nA aking ikinawala ng malay-tao. At noong ako ay wala ng malay-tao ay ginawa niya ang kahalayang ibig niya sa akin. Doon ay lubhang naghirap ako dahil sa masamang palakad sa akin, paghataw at pagbabanta na tinatanggap ko kailan ma't tumututol ako sa mahalay niyang nais sa akin. Marami rin akong nasaksihang mga ginahasa ni Felix Manalo, ang iba ay mga dalaga; ang iba ay mga asawa ng mga kaanib; samantalang ang isa ay asawa ng isang Ministro. Sinabi ni Manalo sa akin ang tungkol sa mga ibang kanyang ginawan ng kahalayan, noon ako'y kanyang hinihikayat na pumayag sa kanyang mga ninanais. Sinabi niya sa akin ang tungkol sa tatlumpong mga babaing kanyang pinagsamantalahan. Hindo ko maaring ihayag ang kanilang mga pangalan upang pagtakpan ang kanilang karangalan, ngunit madalas silang nagpupunta sa Opisino. Sa piling ko ay pinagsikapan niyang ginahasa ang isang dalaga na pagkatapos ay nagbuntis at iyon ay nangyaring napapuntga din sa opisina central ukol sa tanging pagkatataong may kaugnayan kay Manalo. Marahil ang dahilan kaya si Liloy ay nagbitiw ay sapgkat sinikap ni Manalong pilitin si Amada. Ang lahat ng mga itong kanyang nilapastangan ay nangangatakot magsabi sapagkat sila'y binalaang papatayin kung sila'y magsasabi, katulad ng ginawa niya kay Basilia Santos ng Paco, na itinuturo niya si Manalo bilang ama ng kanyang dalawang anak. Naging balitang-balita ito sa Paco.

Bago nagpunta si Manalo sa America, ay dinala niya ako sa bahay ng mga Protacio, sa Pasay. Ngunit noong wala pang isang buwan ay dumating siya upang kunin niya ako pabalik, nangangambang baka sinabi ko sa mga Protacio ang lahat ng kanyang inasal at ginawa sa akin; noon ako'y tumagging sumama sa kanya ay binalaan niya akong sumama sa kanya. Pagkatapos nito ay pinalayas niya sa Iglesya ang mga mag-anak ng Protacio at pinaratangan ng kabulaanan. Kanyang ginugol ang lahat niyang buwanang sahod na P1,300.00 ukol sa mga babae at sa mga mahahalay na mga gawain, samantalang ang abang manggagawa ng Iglesya ay tumatanggap lamang ng P5.00, P10.00, P15.00, P20.00 isang buwan. Ang nangyayari sa lahat ninyong mga abuloy na inaalay sa Dios ay napupunta sa kanyang ginugogol ukol sa lahat niyang mahahalay na gawa. Sinabi ko kay kapatid na Doro ang lahat ng bagay na ito noong si Manalo ay naroon pa sa Amerika.

Sa ganitong paraan ay pababayaan ba ninyong pagmalabisan ni Manalo ang mga kaanib at tanggapin ang Iglesya sa ngalan ng Dios? Hindi ba ninyo iniibig ang Iglesya? Ang inyong mga asawa at mga anak na babae ay nasa panganib sa kasawian sa mahahalay na pita ng mga taong iyan na pinalalagay at kinikilala ninyong tagapagturo ng mga salita ng Dios.

Ipinagtatapat ko sa inyo ang lahat ng bagay na ito, ipinauubaya ko sa inyo ang kapasiyahan na magagawa ninyo kung tunay na iniibig ninyo ang Iglesya at ang Dios. Sa paghimok sa babaeing iniibig niya maging siya ay isang dalaga o isang may asawa, ay binabanggit niya ay maraming asawa si Solomon at inaangkin niyang ang taong sinugo ng Dios ay dapat gawing maligaya at ang pagpayag sa pasang-ayon sa kanyang mga ninanais ay isang kapuri-puring gawa sa mga mata ng Dios. Matatanggap ba ninyong mabuting diwa ang walang kaayusang ito? Nasa inyo ang kapasiyahan.

Ang inyong kapatid na nagging sawingpalad dahil sa malabis na pagtitiwala.

ROSITA"

English Translation:

"Dear Brethren:

Because of my love for the Church for your sake, I am writing you to confess the things that truly hapened to me and the things I have witnessed and have come to know during the two years I have stayed at the Central. I am a young lady who became a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo in Batangas. Because of this, I was despised and disowned by my parents. Thinking it I would find shelter, brother Jacinto Torres convinced me to go with him to the Central Office. During my stay there, what I encountered was a very bitter and painful ordeal like the time when Manalo, whom I considered almost like a father, took advantage of me. At first he tried to court me but when I resisted his sexual advances, he beat me and hit me which made me lose consciousness. It was during this time that I was unconscious that he accomplished his fleshly desires on me. I suffered so much because of the beatings and the threats I have received all the time that I resisted his advances. I have witnessed many more who were raped by Felix Manalo. Some were young women, others were wives of some members, while I know of one who was the wife of a minister. Manalo told me some of the other women he raped he did when he was trying to seduce me. He told me of some thirty women he raped. I cannot reveal their names but they often can be seen at the Central Office. In my presence, he raped a young lady who later became pregnant and it so happened that she went to the central office for the only time it was related to Manalo. The reason why Liloy resigned was probably because Manalo forced Amada. All of those he has raped feared telling anyone because he threatened to kill them like what he did to Basilia Santos of Paco, who claimed to have 2 children from Manalo. These were the talk of the town for some time in Paco.

Before Manalo went to the United States, he brought me to the Protacio family in Pasay. Not one month has passed he came back for me fearing that I told my hosts everything he did to me; when I resisted, he threatened me. After this, he expelled the Protacio's from the Church and accused themn with false charges. He used up all his monthly salary of P1,300 on women and for his immoral acts, while the average Iglesia worker receives only P5.00, P10.00, P15.00, P20.00 a month. All of the tithes you gave to God goes to him of which he spends for all his immoral deeds. I told everything to brother Doro while Manalo is in America.

In this regard, will you allow Manalo to abuse the church's members and accept the Church in the name of God? Don't you love the Church? Your wives and daughters are in grave danger from the impure desires of the people you trust and revere as your teachers of the word of God.

I confess everything to you and I leave to you the decision that you can do if you really love the Church and God. In convincing the girl he desires, be she single or married, he claims that Solomon has many wives and that the messenger of God is to be pleased and that to consent and to agree is very pleasing in the eyes of God.

Can your good hearts accept this unrighteousness? The decision is yours.

From your sister who was disgraced because of trusting too much.

ROSITA"