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Perez started preaching
The Members Church of God International in the Philippines rooted from a similar denomination, the Iglesia ng Dios kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Suhay ng Katotohanan (Church of God in Christ Jesus, Pillar and Support of the Truth) which was first led by Nicolas Antiporda Perez in Pulilan, Bulacan, Philippines in 1928. It was formally registered with the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on December 10, 1936 by Nicolas Perez as the pioneer "Presiding Minister" with a central office in Natividad St., Pasay, Rizal (now Pasay City). Since the year the church was established, church workers were being sent to the nearby provinces around Manila.

Soriano's baptism
In 1963, Triunfo Soriano and Catalina Fernando, both members of the church led by Perez, brought their child Eliseo in a worship service in the locale of Pasay. The young Soriano was enlightened by the preaching of Perez and became very interested in the Bible. Three months before his high school graduation, he decided to stop attending classes to dedicate his time in reading the Bible. He pleaded Perez to baptize him as the latter deemed him too young.

Soriano became a minister
On April 7, 1964, at the age of 17, Soriano was baptized in Sineguelasan, Bacoor, Cavite. He attended ministerial classes with Perez as instructor and became a minister. He conducted his first Bible study in Guagua, Pampanga and bore 33 new brethren, thus establishing the first locale in Pampanga, the Locale of Sto. Cristo. He also supervised the Pampanga Division, the first Division in the church consisting of several local churches in the province. Soriano was the one being assigned by Perez to represent the church in doctrinal debates with pastors and ministers of other religious denominations. He was also Perez' assistant in making outlines of topics being taught in ministerial classes of church workers. In 1972, Soriano was given an identification card bearing the title "Minister" by Perez. No other worker in the church was given this proof of being a minister.

Absence of successor
In May 1975, Perez died without appointing a successor to preside over the church, a small group with less than hundred congregations during that time. In the coming months, Soriano continue preparing the outline of Biblical topics being preached to the brethren in order for them not to lose hope. Members thought it was Perez who outlined those topics before his death. Workers knew, however, that it was Soriano's work. According to the policies of SEC for corporations and religious organizations, the General Secretary of an organization shall succeed as temporary presiding officer until a new presiding officer is elected. On July 11, 1975, members of the church's Board of Trustees, including Soriano, signed an agreement that Levita Gugulan as the General Secretary, shall succeed Perez as "temporary" presiding officer until election of a new presiding officer, as the law states. However, the election did not happen. Instead, Gugulan desired to lead over the church permanently as presiding minister. Soriano countered the authority of Gugulan, a woman, based on the Biblical prohibition for women to rule over the people of God.

Soriano's schism
In their belief that the group formerly led by Bro. Perez already went astray in the teachings of God, Eliseo Soriano, as the only ordained minister by Perez, together with 16 other members created a schism and left the group led by Gugulan in February 21, 1976. Most of the elders who left Gugulan personally testified that they have heard Perez preach that it is strictly prohibited in the Bible for a woman to rule over the Church of God.

Iglesia ng Dios Kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Saligan ng Katotohanan
Soriano formally registered a non-stock religious society or group named Iglesia ng Dios Kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Saligan ng Katotohanan (English: Church of God in Christ Jesus, the Pillar and Ground of the Truth) with the Philippine government on March 30, 1977. Soriano used the word "saligan" (English: ground) instead of "suhay" (English: brace) to differentiate its group from Gugulan's group and in reference to the Greek word hedraióma used in the Greek Bible which means "ground" and not "brace."

Gugulan filed a petition with SEC
On July 16, 1979, Iglesia ng Dios Kay Cristo Jesus, Haligi at Suhay ng Katotohanan led by Gugulan filed with the SEC a petition to compel the Iglesia ng Dios Kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Saligan ng Katotohanan headed by Soriano to change its corporate name, which petition was docketed as SEC Case No. 1774.

Soriano's proactive compliance with Philippine regulations
Portion of SEC guidelines on corporate names states that if the proposed name contains a word similar to a word already used as part of the firm name or style of a registered company, the proposed name must contain two other words different from the name of the company already registered. In compliance with SEC guidelines, Soriano proactively reserved and registered Ang mga Kaanib sa Iglesia ng Dios Kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Saligan ng Katotohanan sa Bansang Pilipinas, Inc. with the SEC on April 25, 1980, during the pendency of SEC Case No. 1774, readily available in case of unfavorable decision from SEC. Soriano added not only two but eight Tagalog words to the registered name, "Ang mga Kaanib" (English: Members), "Saligan" (English: Ground) and "sa Bansang Pilipinas, Inc.," (English: in the Philippines, Inc.) hoping that this will effectively distinguish its group from the respondent corporation headed by Gugulan.

Court decision in favor of Gugulan's group
On May 4, 1988, the SEC rendered judgment in favor of Gugulan, ordering the Iglesia ng Dios Kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Saligan ng Katotohanan to change its corporate name to another name that is not similar or identical to any name already used by a corporation, partnership or association registered with the SEC. Soriano did not file an appeal from the said decision having reserved a new registration eight years ago.

Another complaint filed by Gugulan's group under its new leadership
In 1993, successor of Levita Gugulan, Maximino Nieto found out that Soriano was able to reserve and register a corporate name in 1980, Ang mga Kaanib sa Iglesia ng Dios Kay Kristo Hesus, Haligi at Saligan ng Katotohanan sa Bansang Pilipinas, Inc., almost similar with their corporate name Iglesia ng Dios Kay Cristo Jesus, Haligi at Suhay ng Katotohanan. On March 2, 1994, Nieto filed before the SEC a petition, docketed as SEC Case No. 03-94-4704, asking the SEC to bar Soriano's group from using an almost similar corporate name.

Soriano registered standby legal corporate names
Soriano knowing the possibility of being sued by Nieto, registered a standby corporate name Bayan ng Katotohanan, Inc. for the organization as a legal entity on December 17, 1993, just a few months before Nieto filed a complaint. While the case is still in progress, another backup corporate name was registered by Soriano on February 21, 1994, the Iglesia ni YHWH at ni YHWSA HMSYH, Inc. (English: Church of YHWH and YHWSA HMSYH). The "YHWH" refers to the name of God of Israel in Hebrew, also known as Tetragramatton and "YHWSA", the original name of Jesus Christ and "HMSYH", absolute form of "Messiah" in transliterated Hebrew, also referring to Jesus Christ as the annointed (John 1:41).

Soriano lost the case
On November 20, 1995, the SEC rendered a decision ordering petitioner to change its corporate name. On December 28, 1995, Soriano filed an appeal with the SEC but denied by SEC En Banc on March 4, 1996. Soriano filed a petition for review with the Court of Appeals (CA). October 7, 1997, the Court of Appeals rendered the assailed decision affirming the decision of the SEC En Banc. The court did not consider the additional words eight words as effective in differentiating between the two names, instead merely descriptive words.

Soriano claims to continue the work started by Perez and until today, he believes that Perez is an "introducer" and was used as an instrument of God to start the preaching in the Philippines. ompelled to change its corporate name and be barred from using the same or similar name on the ground that the same causes confusion among their members as well as the public.