Iglesia Ni Cristo

As Executive Minister of the religious sect Iglesia ni Christ (INC), founded by his grandfather Felix Y. Manalo, Eduardo V. Manalo plays a significant role in the direction of the church’s commercial subsidiary network, Eagle Broadcasting Corporation (EBC).

The INC has a highly centralized authority structure, and while technically not a shareholder of the company, Eduardo’s position in the religious organization grants him a monopoly of power and he exerts considerable influence when it comes to the affairs of the sect, including how the network is run. He is the third executive minister of the church, following the tenure of Felix and his father, Erano.

EBC operates DZEC Radyo Agila, an all-news AM radio station, and NET25, the company’s flagship television channel known for its news coverage, public affairs, entertainment programs, and religious content.

Stockholders of EBC are all members of the INC. Theoben Jerdan Orosa, Rowena Df. Deimoy, Nelson Lubao, Erano Magtuto, and Elson Montalbo each have an equal share of 20% in the company. Orosa is married to Eduardo’s daughter, Dorothy Kristine.

Deimoy served as reporter for EBC’s radio station, Radyo Agila. Lubao is a 17-year veteran broadcaster originally from ABS-CBN. Magtuto and Montalbo - now head of EBC’s Edutainment TV - are also songwriters.

The INC was officially registered as a formal religious corporation in 1914. Within one year, its membership increased during the years preceding the Second World War among the masses in Manila and surrounding provinces of Central Luzon. Hirofumi Ando, a Japanese scholar who has done a study on the Iglesia ni Cristo, found that the expansion of a politico-religious sect like Iglesia ni Cristo was a product of the post-independence Philippine society. The church’s growth is well exemplified by the increasing number of large and elaborate INC church buildings throughout the country, and how it openly participates in politics.

INC lists 2.8 million members in the Philippines, but remains secretive when it comes to its worldwide membership, choosing instead to report ‘nearly 7,000 congregations found in 165 countries in all six continents of the world.’

The group is known for its practice of “bloc voting,” where church leaders endorse candidates to their members. This could translate to 1.5 to 1.8 million votes in national elections, making the church powerful and influential, politically.