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File:Eli soriano philweb-nov-2005.jpgSoriano at the 8th Philippine web awards | |
Born | (1947-04-04) April 4, 1947 (age 77) Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines |
Occupation(s) | Evangelist; |
Parent | Triunfo Soriano Catalina Fernando |
Website | http://www.elisoriano.com/ |
Eliseo Fernando Soriano (born April 4, 1947), a controversial Filipino evangelist, is presiding minister of the Philippines-based Members Church of God International. He is known as Bro. Eli in the Congregation he leads, and through his radio and television programs Ang Dating Daan (The Old Path), Ask Soriano, Bible Guide and Truth in Focus. Soriano is known for criticizing various other religious groups for doctrines and practices he considers to be against biblical truths. Soriano and his followers claim him to be the Pantas (Wise man) according to Daniel 12:9-10 who would understand the bible in the last days. This is exhibited in his program "Itanong mo kay Soriano (Ask Soriano)" where he claims to be able to answer all kinds of Bible questions similar to the self-styled "Bible Answer Man", Hank Hanegraff.
Biography
Soriano was born to Triunfo Soriano and Catalina Fernando in Pasay City and is the seventh of eight children. He grew up in Pampanga. He was shy as a child and started school at the age of eight.
Soriano then dropped out of high school three months before graduation to devote his life to study the bible. On April 7, 1964, three days after his 17th birthday, Eliseo was baptised in Seneguelasan, Bacoor, Cavite, and became an official member of the Iglesia ng Dios kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Suhay ng Katotohanan (Church of God in Christ Jesus, Pillar and Support of the Truth in English) founded by Nicholas Perez where his parents are also members.
In 1969, Nicolas Perez, who was then the church’s presiding minister, bestowed upon Soriano the title minister making him the only minister in the Iglesia ng Dios kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Suhay ng Katotohanan at that time. Rumor then was circulating that Soriano would become the successor of Perez. After the death of Nicholas Perez however in 1975, a woman by the name of Levita Gugulan was appointed as presiding minister of the group. Soriano initially accepted the appointment of Gugulan but subsequently denounced her leadership stating that women should not be leaders of the church according to the bible. Some reports claim that Soriano was excommunicated by the group of Gugulan on the ground of homosexuality, among others.
In 1977, Soriano registered a new group, called Iglesia ng Dios kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Saligan ng Katotohanan(Church of God in Christ Jesus, Pillar and Ground of Truth in English), which was later changed to Mga Kaanib sa Iglesia ng Dios kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Saligan ng Katotohanan sa Bansang Pilipinas, Inc. (Members Church of God in Christ Jesus, Pillar and Ground of Truth, Philippines, Inc. in English).
Because of the similarity between the name used by Gugulan’s group and Soriano's group, the former filed a suit, which was resolved by the Supreme Court of the Philippines in 2001 in favor of Gugulan's group and Soriano's group was ordered to change its church's name not similar to Gugulan's.Soriano changed his church name to Bayan ng Katotohanan (City of Truth Inc. in English) and later to Iglesia Ni YHWH at ni YHWSA HMSYH Inc.(Church of YHWH and YHWSA HMSYH Inc. in English). In 2004 Soriano registered and used the name Members Church of God International.
Soriano started his first radio broadcast in 1980 and TV program Ang Dating Daan in 1983.
Senate disqualification
Soriano was declared a nuisance candidate and disqualified by the En Banc Comelec (Commission On Elections) on January 17, 2004 when he stood for a position of senator. Soriano was running as an independent candidate.
Puto's Rape case
Puto’s rape claim was published by ABS-CBN Interactive for more than a year. The article was such that only the date was changing. Editors in Soriano’s group began to protest that article, question the leadership of this outfit, and the kind of training its people had.
This one-story online site went blank for a time. The rape story was not there anymore but only its masthead. It returned with a vengeance, however, ABS-CBN Online. As though with malice, the rape story was back and stayed while it lasted. Meanwhile, they twisted the name of the complainant they protected to Pedriano from Veridiano. This emboldened INC posters to keep repeating the rape story in many online sites and fighting for Daniel Veridiano, alias Puto.
The rape story was picked up by Misplaced Pages that placed it as an integral part of the biography of Eliseo Soriano. This led to some church editors tangling with the Misplaced Pages staff. When Moriori of Misplaced Pages was chided for making use of a discredited source like ABS-CBN Interactive, his reply was to this effect: “There are many others I can use. I still have other sources.” Moriori in the end used Manila Standard as source.
Many times over, the rape story was repeated by news outfits like Soriano was convicted already- an overkill that effectively bared their intentions but mostly what group they were linked to. The aspect of its being dismissed was never mentioned.
Debate with INC (Iglesia ni Cristo)
Soriano reiterated his challenge to debate with Manalo after he had exiled himself towards the end of 2005. A manifestation that he wanted resolution into all this hounding after him. The immigration officials have him on the watchlist, the Secretary of Justice is highly interested in the mocked-up charge of rape, and although dismissed, had it re-filed. The Interpol has his name on "Search" which an INC supporter banners as an international arrest warrant. To Soriano, all of these have began from the practice of selling and buying of votes.
No conclusion could be made then except that new information on religion in the country has to be made. There is religious persecution in the country, thanks to the penis enlargement of Daniel Veridiano that opened a can of secrets from politics, to justice, to immigration, and military connections. More importantly, it has affirmed the role of media that cover these secrets from the eyes of the peering public. For one, why isn’t the murder in cold blood of Marcos Mataro, the UNTV host that left the INC and joined the Ang Dating Daan group not solved despite the fact that the reward had been jacked up to PHP 1.2M. Apparently, media from the INC greatly disinforms the public and covers for those involved.
References
- ^ Ghosts of 2004 Elections: Eliseo Soriano, a Nuisance Candidate
- Does a Woman have the Right to Preach in the Church of God?
- ^ "Cult Profiles". Retrieved 2008-11-04.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - G.R. No. 137592
- Comelec Res. 6558
External links
- EliSoriano.com
- About Eliseo Soriano
- Eliseo Soriano profile
- Eliseo Soriano Blog
- Online English broadcast of Eliseo Soriano
- Eliseo Soriano podcast on Talkshoe.com
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