Amulets didn’t stop bullets

The followers of the pseudo-Christian cult called Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association (PBMA) believed with all their heart that amulets such as libretas (booklets) and rings given to them by "Divine Master" Ruben Ecleo Jr. ensured that bullets would do them no harm.

Tuesday night until yesterday, they were proven wrong. At least 17 of them lay dead following a shootout with the police and military.

The libretas and rings that were supposed to make the PBMA invincible were no match for bullets.

Moises Ecleo Sr. founded the PBMA in 1965 and gave himself the title "Divine Master." His brother Ruben Ecleo Sr. claimed he himself had supernatural powers to revive the dead and heal the sick, that he had mental telepathy and could communicate through dreams as well as predict the future.

Following the death of Ruben Ecleo Sr. in 1987, Ecleo Jr. assumed the mantle of leading the cult which claims to have a membership of 3.5 million in 15 countries. Ecleo Jr.’s followers believed he was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ.

When it was formed in San Jose town, Dinagat island off Surigao del Norte, the PBMA was just a rag-tag group which grew and established 354 chapters nationwide.

The cult gained prominence as it helped the military fight communist guerrillas and Muslim secessionists in Mindanao and in the Visayas during the 1960s-1970s. Most of the cult members belonged to the Ilagas, a Christian militia group which figured prominently in the military campaign against the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

Each of the PBMA member has in his or her possession a small libreta which is supposed to contain Latin inscriptions believed to be prayers that could save them from any kind of harm.

Aside from the libreta, each member must wear a nickel ring that has the PBMA logo. The ring carries a significant meaning because it is supposed to warn the wearer of danger coming his way. The ring also denotes a member’s status in the PBMA hierarchy.

The libreta and the ring cost P5 and P10, respectively, in the early 1970s.

The cult teaches "clean living," meaning no drinking of liquor, no smoking, and no womanizing for male members. The policies attracted members even in remote areas.

Women members are required to wear white dresses upon appointment by chapter leaders to go to Dinagat island for "purification" rituals to be administered by the "Divine Master" Ecleo Sr.

Ecleo Sr. required his members to recite what was thought to be Latin prayers eight times a day, at 6 a.m., 9 a.m., 12 noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m., 12 midnight, and 3 a.m.

Ecleo Sr. also gave each chapter leader healing powers that were supposed to enable them to cure the sick and resurrect the dead. He also held "healing sessions" on tooth extraction and acupuncture using an "invincible" needle.

The cult has become a potent political force in Surigao del Norte, with the power to ensure that their favored politicians would get at least 30,000 votes during elections.

Ecleo Jr. is also a former mayor of San Jose town in Dinagat. His mother, Glenda Ecleo, is a member of the House of Representatives.

Rep. Ecleo, (Lakas-NUCD, Surigao del Norte), derives her political strength from the family fortune and the PBMA. PBMA founder Moises Ecleo Sr. was a governor of Surigao del Norte up until 1992 when he lost to Francisco Matugas.

Ruben Sr. was a mayor of Dinagat town, while Rep. Ecleo was a provincial board member from 1980 to 1986. Ruben Jr. was a mayor of San Jose town while Romeo Ecleo was a vice mayor of Basilisa.

Rep. Ecleo had declared a net worth of P7.98 million, with assets that include five houses and lots and P500,000 in shares of stock. She has interests in REE Trading Enterprises, Dinagat Mining and Development Corp. a local Caltex station, RGE Stitchmark in Surigao City, and Twin Dragon printing press. The Ecleos also involved in logging.

The lives of cult members went on quietly until police alleged that Ecleo Jr. killed his wife, a medical student, because of her constant nagging for him to undergo drug rehabilitation.

The remains of his wife were found stuffed in a black garbage bag at the bottom of a cliff in Cebu on Jan. 30. Police believed the 27-year-old woman had been strangled.

Ecleo Jr., who lived with his wife and two children in Cebu City, refused to cooperate with the police and fled after her body was discovered.

Yesterday’s operations capped several unsuccessful bids to take Ecleo Jr. into custody.

In May, thousands of sect members on Dinagat island formed a human barricade to prevent police from arresting their leader, even vowing to die rather than hand him over. – With reports from AFP