Testified on July 26, 2026.
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And I am beloved brother Pio Dacara. I want to give thanks to our Dearest LORD JESUS because I was reached and used by the Lord, a bar of iron. But Dearest JESUS is truly there to bless. So I thank Dearest JESUS in our life, and I offer up my thanks to our Dearest LORD JESUS. Many blessings have been received in our lives through our Dearest JESUS, because in the days when I did not yet know Dearest JESUS, I came from the mire of sin. And I was imprisoned for a crime I did not commit.
2nd Time Being Arrested
The event happened; in those days, I was a drunkard and a gambler, so a case was made against me by the relatives of my wife. When my wife and I quarreled, I meant to kill her, but I did not succeed because I was drunk. That incident brought us to court. But it was dismissed at the hearing. When that case of mine was gone, I went here to Marilao, since my house is just there in Valenzuela. I went to Marilao, where I was working on a residential project. So I stayed there. To my shock, I was arrested again. Those who arrested me said I had a rape case. The relatives of my wife made the case against me… I could do nothing because I am only a poor man, so I was taken to prison.
Sentenced to Death by Lethal Injection
At that time, when I was already in jail, I had great bitterness at being imprisoned for something I did not do. But because of the grace of our Dearest JESUS, I had a release within myself as I drew near to Dearest JESUS. I was reached, and many prisoners came into the jail. Until I was taken to the Maximum Security Compound in Muntinlupa, and I was sentenced to death by lethal injection. For me, in those days, it was something I could not accept, because I was not yet close to the LORD. I was taken to Maximum in 1998. Before I was taken to Maximum, I would take maintenance medicine for my illnesses, for my migraine, and for my heart condition. In fact, when I was in jail here in Valenzuela, I was even confined here in Polo General Hospital because of my illnesses, my ailments.
Miraculous Healing in the Prison
But when I was taken to Maximum, I thank Dearest JESUS, the work of the JESUS Miracle Crusade International Ministry, established by our Beloved Evangelist-Pastor Wilde E. Almeda and Beloved Assistant Pastor Lina C. Almeda—truly. There, I came to realize within myself, and among the many religious works I had attended, the work of the JESUS Miracle Crusade is different. There in our praise, we would experience trembling, weeping while praising. So I said to myself, Dearest JESUS is truly present in this work. Because of this, my mind was to continue with the LORD, so I was first baptized in water in the name of our Dearest JESUS on December 28, 1998. From that time, when I was baptized in water in 1998, those ailments of mine, my heart condition, never once flared up again from then until now.
So I said to myself, the work of the JESUS Miracle Crusade International Ministry is true. We experienced terrible persecution there in Maximum. Once, I cannot forget, we were holding our worship on a Friday, and Muslim prisoners surrounded us because they were angry at Christians. But by the mercy of our Dearest JESUS, they were subdued. Our work continued there in Maximum.
Reflecting in the Midst of the LIfe’s Storm
At one time, our Beloved Pastor was in Jolo, Sulu, with twelve prayer warriors, to free the twelve hostages who had been abducted, through the prayer of our dear pastor—ninety days, a hundred and ten days of their fasting—because of their fasting [and prayer], many were freed. And we, too, brethren in Maximum, continued to fast, especially when the execution of Echegaray began. [Leo Echegaray, who was found guilty in 1994 of raping his10-year-old daughter.] All of us were troubled in mind; we could not be at ease when the lethal injection of Echegaray began. Of course, our thinking was that Echegaray was the first, and all of us on death row could not be at peace either. Because each one of us, even myself, said, at that time, perhaps I would be next.
Pray in One Accord
But I thank Dearest LORD, the work of the JESUS Miracle Crusade International Ministry arrived, and there we decided to fast, pray, and fast. Together we fasted, and our pastor said, our fasting would be fast unto death—rather than let yourselves be executed, better to die and live in the LORD JESUS. This was done, fasting together, praying, and so we were amazed—suddenly the executions were stopped. Praiseworthy is the work of our Dearest JESUS.
Paralyzed and Now Healed
I am a witness. There was a brother of ours in Maximum who was sick, who could no longer get up, even to relieve himself. We brethren helped him. We carried him to the restroom, even his zipper, his undergarments—we were the ones who removed them, we undressed him, we took him to the restroom, and afterward we carried him back again to his bunk—we call it the “tarima,” the iron bunk. His iron bunk was up above waist height. He could no longer move; only his eyes could move. And then, one night, there was a burnout, no light, and we brethren gathered together—praiseworthy—we took that brother of ours who could not walk, could not move, and we brought him into our praise that night, in the blackout.
While we were praising, when we were filled with the holy Spirit of our Dearest JESUS, together we prayed, and we laid hands on that brother of ours, because it is the teaching of our Beloved Pastor to cast out the evil spirit. It is true, after we laid hands on that brother of ours, that brother who could no longer walk or move, only a moment later, as for me, I had just prepared coffee, I had boiled water, we were holding hands, I had filled all the cups with coffee. When I put the water in and the coffee was, so to speak, warm, we were all amazed, and that brother of ours suddenly stood up and reached for the coffee on the table.
GOD’s Work Beyond Measure
There I saw, all glory to the LORD JESUS, my own eyes saw it. And from there, it became my joy to serve the LORD. So from then on, I no longer changed from one work to another. In fact, many pastors in Maximum were always trying to convince me because I would play instruments in their works and in their chapel, since in our work I played instruments, hymns, and brethren. They tried to recruit me to play for them, and I would have a salary, month by month. What I would answer the pastors who spoke to me, I said, my dear pastors, our dear pastor—we have no salary, but we do not leave there, because the dear Lord is present there, the signs and wonders of our Dearest LORD JESUS.
Ask and It Shall Be Given Unto You
Until I thought of continuing to fast, I asked Dearest LORD, I said to Dearest LORD, let me fast again, I will not eat, I will not drink water. Dearest LORD JESUS, only bring me out of the death sentence—at least, even to a life sentence, so that at least I could be with my brethren in the chapel, in praise, every day. I did this, though we are only people, weak, and it seemed I would feel hunger, but I have faith in Dearest JESUS that He would not forsake me, He would give strength. So while I fasted, I always praised, kneeling, praying, every three hours, praising, praying—that is what I did. I did not leave my cabin, because if you go out, there are all sorts of talk you would hear, since they are all prisoners, brethren. So until my fasting was finished, after three days, the Overseer of Maximum called for me. I was called to the office of the Overseer on a day of worship, on a Friday. I had a calling, and of course, being a day of worship, this was how I was dressed. So I went to the Overseer, with two Bibles. He said to me—the Overseer teased me—”Oh, attorney, why only now? Are you an attorney? Oh, pastor.” I said, “I am not an attorney, sir, and even less am I a pastor. I am only a member of the JESUS Miracle Crusade.” “Are you brother Pio?” “I am, sir.” “Here is your paper. It came from the Supreme Court.” He said to me, “Listen, let me reduce it, I will translate it into Tagalog.” I sat before him, and as he read it, he said, “This paper of yours, it is written here—in fact, the sentence, that sentence, has been modified to reclusion perpetua.”
All glory to JESUS, hallelujah, praise the LORD, for Dearest JESUS, I could not hold back my tears before him, though he kept teasing me, saying, “Don’t cry, why are you crying? Aren’t you happy? You have been spared from the death sentence, you will no longer be executed by injection. Aren’t you glad?” “Of course, sir.” “Then why are you crying?” “It is nothing, this is only joy, because I remember—I not only want you all to be blessed, but to bring me out to the next sentence.” Dearest LORD JESUS did this. So praiseworthy is the work of our Dearest LORD JESUS
And though we were used there in the work, in our work at the minimum, I alone was left to remain—hallelujah, praise the LORD—the others of us, my companions, were released. I said to myself, that will come for me too. I know, by the will of the LORD JESUS. Only He alone knows when or what hour. It is true,—this very Wednesday, July 23, I was called for release. They processed me, and I was granted freedom. Do you know what happened when I was called for release? All my belongings are in my cell—I brought nothing out, because all my fellow inmates scrambled for my things, even my mattress. I was still sitting there, gathering my other belongings, still sitting, and they were already snatching my mattress. I could do nothing. I just stopped and let it be. But that is not what matters. What matters, for me, and my joy on this day, is that I reached this place.
The greatness, the majesty, and the thanks belong only to our Dearest LORD JESUS. Praise the LORD.
