PHLPost welcomes CA ruling affirming legality of Iglesia ni Cristo stamps

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Postal Corp. (PhlPost) postmaster general Ma. Josefina dela Cruz yesterday welcomed reports that the Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed the legality of the use of public funds to print 1.2 million postage stamps for the 100th founding anniversary of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) last year.

Dela Cruz said PhlPost only complied with an executive order issued by Malacañang at the start of the religious group’s founding anniversary to come out with anniversary postage stamps.

She said the production of these stamps was also a business decision.

“The INC purchased a large quantity – amounting to P78 million worth of stamps – which they sold (to their members). They even sent some to their chapters abroad. The stamps were very much in demand,” she said.

Renato Peralta, the complainant in the case, said the printing and issuance of the INC centennial stamps violated Section 29 (2) Article VI of the 1987 Constitution which bars the use of public funds to support a religious sect.

Dela Cruz, however, said the INC stamp was not a violation of the Constitution. 

“The stamp is always a record of the country’s history. The 100 years of the INC is also a part of history. It is part of the local church that we could not just ignore,” she said.