Marcos appoints Iglesia leader as special envoy for OFW concerns

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 2) – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Iglesia ni Cristo executive minister Eduardo Manalo as a special representative for overseas Filipino concerns, Malacañang announced on Saturday.

He also named businessman Norman Vincent Wee as his special envoy to the United Arab Emirates for Trade and Investments.

Manalo previously served in the same position under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte from 2018 to 2019.

The INC, known for its bloc voting system, endorsed Marcos and now Vice President Sara Duterte in the May 2022 polls.

In 2009, Manalo became the third executive minister of INC.

He succeeded his father, Eraño Manalo, and grandfather, Felix Manalo, the founder of INC.

Meanwhile, Wee is the son of former Filipino envoy to Indonesia Lee Hoing Wee. Their family owns the W Group Inc., a company that ventures in real estate, food and investments.

According to a report by the Phililppine Center for Investigative Journalism, the newly appointed Wee and his brother each donated ₱20 million to Marcos during his presidential campaign in 2022.