PART 1: INC Rebellion - INC's role in bringing the crowd to the EDSA 3 rally

Why did INC chose to ally with Marcos and Estrada, but then clearly supported rebellion against Arroyo? Is it because INC follows the biblical command, or is it because the Manalos are really cronies of the two deposed presidents?

INC's role in bringing the crowd to the EDSA 3 rally

The inside story:The Fall of Joseph Estrada: The Inside Story - a book by Amando Doronilla
page 223-224:

MEMBERS OF THE IGLESIA NI CRISTO (INC), a religious sect that has supported Estrada since he was a mayor, accounted for much of the turn-out at the EDSA shrine - 70% to 75%, Mendoza reported at the National Security Council meeting called by President Macapagal-Arroyo on the fifth day of the protest. The INC denied ordering its followers to EDSA. Although the INC leadership has always supported candidates fairly openly during an election, the INC said it was up to its constituents to decide whether or not to join the pro-Estrada rally at the EDSA shrine.

But an INC official, who agreed to be interviewed for this book on condition of anonymity, told a different story. While there may not have been an order directing INC members to go to EDSA, they were not discouraged from going, he said. A less subtle signal of which side the INC was on, he said, was in fact sent to some local pastors: on the first night of the protest, calls came from the central office urging them to go, and the pastors in turn passed the word down to the ranks.

But the obvious manifestation was the non-stop coverage of the rally by the INC's radio and television stations. Net 25, a cable television channel, and radio station DZEC in fact had the event to themselves because the other networks , accused of bias, were kept away by harrasment. Previously, Net 25 had only shown sectarian and other non-political (shopping, computer technology) programs. Now it had only EDSA pictures with DZEC providing the annotation and commentary.

According to an INC insider, the leadership supported the rally because it felt that the government had gone over board in its quest for justice. INC leader Erano Manalo, the informant said, was convinced that the administration was humiliating Estrada in public because it wanted to destroy him once and for all. "Patung-patong na ang kaso against Erap, and it seemed the government was not content with that. They are saying that he would be investigated for a possible violation of the Comelec gun ban. And then the mug shots and the fingerprinting were shown on nationwide TV. Sobra na raw 'yon. Aping-api na si Erap," the insider said, explaining Manalo. The INC commentators took turns in agitating their audiences by picturing Estrada as the underdog, the government and the media his tormentors.

Part 2: INC Rebellion - INC's role in the rebellion plot
Part 3: The government's response to the plot, specifically against the INC
Part 4: The government's attempt to reach out to the INC leadership
Part 5:  INC Rebellion - The deal with Manalo
Part 6:  Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo makes a personal visit to Manalo