What comes to mind when you see the Senate’s weekly schedule indicating that Senator Robinhood Padilla is presiding a hearing on proposals to declare the founding anniversary of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) a holiday?

Is he trying to pay back the religious organization that instructed its flock to vote for him 2022? Is he trying to curry favor with the politically entrenched group? Well, those things are possible.

But how about he’s also just doing his job as chairperson of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes?

On Monday, March 18, Padilla presided over a public hearing on bills seeking to declare July 27 a holiday in the entire Philippines in commemoration of the founding anniversary of the religious group.

Padilla’s committee tackled two proposed laws: Senate Bill No. 1087, filed by Senator Jinggoy Estrada, seeking “special working holiday” for the INC anniversary; and Senate Bill No. 1546, filed by Senator Bong Revilla, seeking a “special non-working holiday.”

The committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes handles proposals on holiday declarations, as provided under the Administrative Code of the Philippines.

The two bills differ in the type of holiday they are proposing. If a holiday is “special working,” employees will report to work and get an additional 30% of their daily rate; if the holiday is “special non-working,” employees wouldn’t have to work and still get an additional 100% of their daily rate.

Padilla prefers the Revilla bill, which imposes on employers whether their workers are INC members or not.

During the hearing, Department of Labor and Employment Undersecretary Felipe Ecargo Jr. recommended observing just a “special working holiday.” It said, declaring holidays must consider a balance between workers’ benefits and the need to maintain the country’s attractiveness to investors. Which investors would come when there are too many holidays requiring them to pay extra to employees who need to work on those days?

“Ako po mismo ay witness sa mga ginawang magagandang bagay ng INC. Nakita ko ang kanilang lingap ‘di lang ito sa Pilipinas kundi sa buong mundo. Nasaksihan ko po ang para sa akin ay very godly na mga misyon ng INC. Hindi lang po sa Kristyano kundi sa mga Muslim,” Padilla said. (I personally witnessed the good deeds of INC. I saw their godly acts worldwide, not just for Christians but also for Muslims.)

Every elections, politicians woo the influential religious group for endorsement because they are known for “bloc voting.” The INC believes bloc voting reflects the Bible’s teachings. 

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority Report on Religious Affiliation in its 2020 Census of Population and Housing, the INC is the third largest religious affinity in the country with over 2.8 million membership.

In 2022, Senate topnotcher Padilla was among the candidates endorsed by the INC. In the 2019 midterm elections, the INC supported then-senatorial aspirants Revilla and Estrada, even if both had been accused of plunder. – Rappler.com