Mike Velarde
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Mariano Zuniega Velarde or better known as Bro. Mike(b. August 20, 1939) is the founder and Servant Leader of the Philippine based Catholic Charismatic religious group El Shaddai Movement. He has gained notoriety when former members accused him of misusing the movement's money for personal purposes.
He is the owner of Amvel Land Development Corporation, a real estate company and DWXI-TV, a UHF Television station.
[edit] Biography
Born in Caramoran, Catanduanes, he attended University of the East, Manila where he received a degree in geodetic engineering. With a company bonus, he started buying land and developing residential subdivisions south of the city. He did well until 1983, when political turmoil sent the Philippine economy into a tailspin and went bankrupt. By 1986 his debts, which he had used to finance land purchases, had grown to $8 million. After a recovery from a heart ailment in 1978, he started a weekly Bible-quoting radio show on DWXI, a station he acquired in 1982 as part of a real estate deal. He then held monthly prayer rallies outside the vicinity of the radio station. Since then, his church has grown rapidly and as a result, Velarde has recovered financially.
[edit] Theology
Although Velarde still maintains his Roman Catholic faith, some conservative priests are seeing Velarde already on the edge of heresy because of his "stupid" practices not known in the traditional Catholic rites.
Velarde opposes the use of rosary beads and images of the saints, and he is especially critical of prayers directed to Mary instead of God.
Velarde's movement draws from Philippine folk Christianity. He encourages the ritual use of a wide range of objects, from bankbooks and visa applications to eggs, umbrellas, and even specially blessed handkerchiefs, as a kind of Pentecostal anting-anting(amulet). El Shaddai's followers ascribe magical healing powers to eggs or bottles of water brought to rallies, or to handkerchiefs printed with prayers. Another critical point is that his teaching suggests the feasibility of miracles.
He's known for promoting the prosperity gospel. He promises financial prosperity, healing, success and happiness to his followers most of whom are destitute in return for their faith-inspired giving to his church. His pandering to the poor gains little respect among the intellegentsia.
[edit] Business Interest
Velarde is the owner and chairman of Amvel Land Development Corporation, a real estate company which received the single biggest housing loan from the government in 2004 for the construction of Amvel Mansions, a 3,000-unit residential project at the Amvel Business Park in Parañaque. Some believe the loan is a political payback for supporting President Arroyo's administration in the 2004 elections.[1].
In 2001, Velarde made headlines along with former President Joseph Estrada for a questionable sale of his land property as a supposed "right of way" to the proposed government C-5 Road Project. Despite being overpriced, Estrada intervened to ensure the sale of the property prompting the government to charge Velarde and Estrada with plunder. The acquisition was believed to have been Estrada's thank you gesture to Velarde's for supporting his candidacy. A year and a half after paying Velarde’s firm P1.22 billion, the Estrada administration shelved the C-5 Link project indefinitely.
