MCGI: A Religious Cartel?
- Rosa Rosal
- May 11
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 5
As the Members Church of God International (MCGI) unravels under mounting legal, financial, and ethical controversies, one figure remains at the helm—Daniel “Kuya” Razon, the self-styled televangelist-turned-captive market tycoon, whose influence stretches from Philippine political backrooms to possibly foreign courtrooms in Brazil.
And while MCGI markets itself as a faith-based institution, the paper trail tells a different story, one of tax dodging, regulatory defiance, and international legal entanglements.
At its core lies a cult-like empire built on captive economics, religious manipulation, and legal loopholes.
Brazil: 30+ Cases and the Legacy Razon Inherited
JusBrasil, the Brazilian legal database, reveals over 30 civil and labor lawsuits filed against Eliseo Fernando Soriano, Razon’s uncle and MCGI’s late founder. One such case, Joao Vitor Silveira vs. Soriano, involves labor claims and strange financial entries like “Proof of Jewish Deposit” that raise eyebrows for their lack of financial clarity.
These court documents point to Soriano not merely as a religious leader, but as a corporate actor in Brazil engaged in employment contracts, business partnerships, and likely financial shell operations.
Today, as Razon assumes total leadership, he inherits the global baggage of MCGI’s operations including unresolved legal issues in Brazil that now cast a long shadow over the movement’s credibility.
Philippines: Kuya Daniel’s Quiet Empire
Back home, Razon has created what appears to be a media-religious-commercial-political complex, and the law is often treated as an inconvenience:
FDA Violations
Under Razon’s leadership, MCGI marketed BES Sardines and Hydrogen Water without FDA registration. These were sold exclusively to members, exploiting their loyalty while bypassing regulatory oversight. Why? Because within MCGI, internal sales are framed as acts of good works, not commerce.
Wish Concert Scandal
Razon’s Wish FM concerts were marketed under a religious veneer but operated as major commercial events. Tickets were sold from ₱2,500 to ₱25,000, yet marked as ₱0.00 in accounting documents—a textbook case of tax evasion. No official receipts. No transparency. Just another product peddled to a captive congregation.
BH Partylist Scandal
Razon’s machinery also includes political power. The BH Partylist, which MCGI tacitly supports, appears to benefit from bloc-voting and internal mobilization thereby raising serious concerns about electioneering disguised as ministry. This tactic circumvents COMELEC campaign finance rules, all while pretending to serve “public interest.”
The New Frontier: Unlicensed Operations in Muslim Nations
MCGI, under Razon, is also expanding into Saudi Arabia and other Muslim-majority countries without formal recognition or licenses. This exposes not only MCGI workers to arrest but shows how Razon continues to gamble with members’ safety in pursuit of expansion at any cost.
Whether it’s dodging FDA rules in the Philippines, laundering religious funds in Brazil, or operating illegally in conservative countries, one pattern is clear: Daniel Razon’s MCGI is a crumbling empire built on deception, enabled by silence, and driven by profit.
What we are witnessing is not spiritual revival. It’s a system in decay. Desperate, overleveraged, and clinging to power with illegal sales, false receipts, and manufactured cheers. The more Razon grasps, the more MCGI reveals its true nature that its not a church, but a cartel with a song of praise.
RELATED LINK (Brazil Cases Archive):
An MCGI Exiter Investigative Report
