Thursday, August 30, 2007

It Is Not Over

It looks like the FFL's spin machine is in high gear with Nonong Contreras appearing to defy the peace that the CBCP has tried so hard to broker with his media appearances and attacks on GK. There has been a rash of TV appearances on ABS-CBN, with him still questioning GK's finances and disbursements. His statements make for great soundbites, although with GK a properly audited foundation, they are baseless without further proof. Once again, the soundbites are great for catching people's ears and sowing doubt, but worthless as a credible source of information. Politics at its finest.

If he really feels that there is an anomaly, then he should bring GK to court, along with their auditing partners. Maybe the CFC financials for the past 26 years should be opened up too, while he's at it.

With the CBCP's statement saying that the reason for the split wasn't about the money (which was also confirmed to them by FFL's Roland Nillas) and more about its deviation from spirituality, then as FFL's spokesperson, Mr. Contreras' attacks on GK would seem to go against what the FFL (ergo Frank Padilla) is telling the Bishops.

Let us put this into perspective:

From the very beginning, Frank Padilla's main reason for his split with CFC was because of GK's veering away from its spirituality and taking away the CFC's focus on evangelization (see GK-3). Money was never mentioned. The emphasis on spirituality only gave Frank Padilla the platform to elevate it to the Bishops' attention.

It would seem that with his spokesperson going on the offensive about GK's financials, Frank may have been misleading the Bishops all along. FACT: It is about the money.

Could it be that it would pay to sow doubts about the integrity of CFC and one of its pillars, GK, in a drive to recruit CFC members to his new group now that the Bishops have recommended the split?

Could it be the fact that the CFC will retain its Vatican Decree be such an annoyance to the FFL that they have to launch a campaign to discredit the CFC (by questioning GK's financials)?

Your opinions please.


Now this article in the Inquirer that covered the dialogue features statements from supposedly anonymous CFC Household Heads who gave their take on the situation:

"They said to them, there appeared to be a "power grab" within the CfC after some elders ignored the advise of the bishops-- Reyes, Lagdameo, and Bishop Socrates Villegas, who was said to represent Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, to seek a "win-win" situation and resolve the conflict.

Instead, one group went ahead with the election of the council of new elders, led by Tale, last June 22, three days before the CfC's 25th anniversary, they said."


It was incredibly irresponsible of the Inquirer reporter, Nikko Dizon, to report what amounts to be an opinion without at least trying to get all the facts from the CFC Council. In short, get all sides of the situation. The inflamatory term, "power grab", was designed to appeal to minds and hearts, esp. to those who are still undecided.

I ask you all now, is this over? I guess we will be bringing into the public light the days and moments before that fateful election. Stay tuned.

Up next, The Definition Of FORGIVENESS according to The Easter Group's Gary Faustino.

In the same post...CFC/CFC-GK/CFC-FFL tongue twisters...you know, in case there wasn't enough abbreviations to contend with in the first place. :-)

There is no peace in sight...yet.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

As for obedience for the bishops, we all must heed them, after all it was the issue in the first place. We must walk the talk. Masyado na naabala ang trabaho ng evangelization!!!

cfc_emmaus@yahoo.com.ph

Anonymous said...

Nonong is simply breathtaking in his dishonesty and lack of thought. Unbelievable.

Anonymous said...

so sino ngayon ang hindi sumusunod sa bishop? sinabi na nga na "money matters had nothing to do with the conflict" eh!!!
now you are saying its about MONEY!!! you're feeding the bishops the wrong information, how swiftly do you change your stance!
may kasabihan - yung masyadong nagmamadali, madalas nadadapa!! hinay hinay lang...

Anonymous said...

MAGANDANG ARAW CFC!
TARA NA! SULONG NA!

FOR MC's: a new day brings HOPE, hope brings us JOY, joy allows us to MOVE FORWARD!!! let's all come and worship the Lord on our MC Gathering this Sunday Sept 2! Come and Celebrate HOPE and JOY! Let's pack the gym to the rafters! dala na rin kayo/tayo food to share... hehehehe
Praise be to GOD!

o baka maiwan ka... let's GO! :-)

Anonymous said...

Nonong may have forgotten that the GK that he talks about was led by Frank, his leader now in the Restoration group, for many years until Feb of 2007 as CHAIRMAN OF THE GK BOARD. So was Nonong talking of possible funds irregularities under Frank's watch as Chair? Nagtatanong kami.

Anonymous said...

Simply put CFC's fortress is being attacked by former residents who have unwittingly locked themselves out of the gates. CFC is being accused of maligning the separatists when in fact, it just has to defend itself to survive. Like any other entity. For their sake (the separatists), I hope that they stop throwing stones and move on to build their own fortress. To repeat the words of another commenter...no poaching please!!!! If they do believe that God is with them, then nothing can be against them in building a strong (if not stronger) new community.

Anonymous said...

i think what we should be asking right now is what nonong, frank and ffl want to happen after using the media to voice their sentiments about the mismanagement of the gk funds. what do they want out of it?

hmmm... are we fishing for souls here... or are we trying to build an army of souls that we can show-off in heaven...

as for tm, his use of cfc and gk funds has been an issue for the longest time... and i do believe that its possible that tm used some (or whatever you want to believe and seen) of the funds for personal use.. however, if you dont have any tangible proof then stop crying wolf... you were there, you were part of it...

you were a pack of wolves until a new alpha male emerged and the old alpha male was left to fend for himself to find/join a new pack...

Anonymous said...

Nonong Contreras...he also spoke in Chicago about three weeks ago, telling lies about GK. Very arrogant and worthy to be ousted as a CFC leader. Give us CFC financial statement first...ni wala kayong auditor. Now, that you're out, stop sourgraping!

Melgar S. Gayao, Esq. said...

Power grab! Wow! This reporter should be subjected to a credibility test! Doesn't he know that Padilla resigned and Tale took over the realm without any issue at all way back in February, 2007. Padilla voluntarily yielded "power" by resigning...and there was no grabbing at all, be it power or arms or land or office or money....In layman's term wala, none, nein, zich, nada...

This reporter reminds me of the "payola" press so many years ago during the time of Marcos!

Anonymous said...

Comment to 'Anonymous' of 08/30:

I do not have a Contrarian view of your opinion on Nonong's lack of thought.

When Nonong Contreras was interviewed on TV saying GK could not account for the funds it received, his obvious intent was to discredit GK, not conscious of the negative impact of such statement with GK's partners. Fact is GK's accounts are audited.

What is difficult to reconcile is the veracity of his statement and the reality that there are a lot of corporate sponsors who trust GK's handling of funds.

Some of the corporate/ institutional partners of GK where Nonong Contreras had some employment or affiliation with are the Ayala Group of Companies which owns Globe Telecom and his professional organization, Personnel Management Asso. of Phils. Globe and Phimap are GK sponsors not for one house but for whole villages. It is not for a pittance that these companies give to GK. Not only their money but also their trust.

Nonong implied that these companies did not do their due diligence work on GK.

One could think that when Nonong insinuates that financial mis-handling is present at GK, then the partners are wrong in trusting the management of GK.

It is indeed sad that one brother who was once a member CFC Council, could now make such irresponsible comment on TV at the expense of the former community to which belonged to, CFC, and in the same token insult the group of companies he once worked for as a highly paid executive.

All for what Nonong?

PS. Looks like Bro. Roland Nillas does not agree with you on the money angle.

Anonymous said...

Power grab hmmm, I think there is a piece of literary work known as 'the minutes of the ----.

This article shows a step by step plan on how to grab power and re-instated Biboy D' Frank. This is the real 'power grab'story or whats behind it.
One day in the past when all was not well but still in speaking terms, Gerry Padilla paid Nina Ponte a visit. After the kumustahan and the adieu, the lady of the house found some pieces of paper, which must have fallen from the purse of Lady G, stuck in the side of her sofa. Lo and behold,written and signed was a document now famously called- THE MINUTES OF THE PLAYBOY BUNNIES-. Here is a copy for you my dear CD. You have to relate it to what happened before and after the elections.... The hand of GOD? Icantbelievebutitstru...

Anonymous said...

It is so sad that a brother like nonong contreras is sowing intrigue and peddling lies about GK whom many believe is one of God's great works. I can only thank the Lord that He blessed the community by letting nonong contreras and his likes leave CFC.

Anonymous said...

Oh, now we know! I've been wondering how the Easter Group's june 7 minutes was obtained by the then 4-man IC.

So, naiwan pala ni Gerry Padilla sa bahay ni Nina ang minutes of the June 7 Power Grab meeting ng Easter Group.

At na-wrong send naman ni Gary Faustino to a certain Gerry B (a member of TM's hh), instead of Gerry Padilla, ang comments niya sa draft document ni Bishop Soc proposing to separate GK from CFC.

Wow! Indeed the Lord has a way of exposing the ways of the cunning and the scheming.

It might be good to reprint/reproduce in this blog the June 7 Easter Group's minutes para magka-alaman kung sino ang power grabbers. It can also be downloaded from www.fulfillingthemandate.org/statements.php