MANILA - Malacañang is keeping its hands off the internal conflict hounding the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC).

"It is not appropriate for the government to get involved in the internal affairs of a private entity," Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma said Wednesday.

Presidential candidate OFW Family Club Party-list Rep. Roy Señeres has made a call at the House of Representatives for President Benigno Aquino III, House Speaker Sonny Belmonte and Senate President Franklin Drilon to "conciliate, mediate and amicably settle the conflict" within the INC.

In Resolution 2623, Señeres cited that he has thousands of relatives on both the maternal and paternal sides who are active members of the INC, including Philippine Constabulary Col. Salvador Señeres who is his uncle.

He said he has "always cared" for the INC, noting that when he was ambassador to the United Arab Emirates from 1994 to 1998, he allowed the members of the INC to hold some church celebrations from the embassy compound because they could not hold it anywhere else for reasons of national security whereby the host country does not allow the gathering of foreign residents.

The INC is known for voting as a bloc in elections.

Expelled INC minister Lowell Menorca was arrested for libel on Wednesday morning while he was on his way to the Court of Appeals (CA).

Menorca accused the INC leadership of being behind his arrest allegedly to prevent him from taking the witness stand for his petition for writs of amparo and habeas corpus.

Menorca earlier claimed that he was abducted by policemen in Sorsogon on orders from the INC leadership. He said he was among the INC ministers and members accused of running the controversial anti-Iglesia Ni Cristo blog of a certain Antonio Ebangelista.

The INC, for its part, denied any involvement in the former member's arrest.

INC spokesperson Edwil Zabala said Menorca should just face the charges against him and stop blaming the church. -- Reports from Willard Cheng and RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News