Expelled Iglesia Ni Cristo member Lowell Menorca said on Tuesday that there is no overt and direct threat from the INC leaders to harm him and his family.
Menorca made the admission before the Court of Appeals Seventh Division during the cross examination by lawyer Rogelio Vinluan, counsel for respondents INC officials, in connection with the petition for the writ of amparo and writ of habeas corpus filed by Menorca’s family accusing the INC leaders of allegedly holding him in custody against his will at the compound of the INC’s Central Office in Quezon City.
When Vinluan asked Menorca on whether he was threatened to be harmed by the respondents, Menorca replied: “Direct, verbally no. Implied and indirect, yes.”
“We were restrained, heavily-guarded, constantly interrogated. But harm na tututukan ng kutsilyo, wala. Pero yung wala kaming kalayaan, yun ang threat sa amin,” Menorca stressed.
Vinluan refuted Menorca’s claim that their liberty was restrained because there were, in fact, instances when he was able to shop and go to the Philippine Arena.
However, Menorca said that even though they were allowed to leave the INC Central’s compound during the time when they claim that they are in “detention,” they are still heavily guarded and they also have to first secure the approval of the INC officials.
Several photographs including the one that was shot with Menorca and his family smiling while inside the INC Central’s compound were shown before the court and presented to Menorca.
Menorca confirmed that it was indeed his family’s photo shot inside the INC compound.
“I admit that we are smiling in this picture while we are restrained and under heavy guard,” he said.
Another photo presented in the hearing was the one that was taken during the birthday celebration of Menorca’s wife, Jinky, where Menorca was with 21 visitors inside the INC compound.
There were also several request allegedly made by Menorca’s camp, while in the custody of INC, among those are for them to be allowed to watch cable television and to go to a gym.
Meanwhile, lawyer Moises Tolentino, also part of INC’s legal team, manifested before the court some of the interviews conducted by the media with Menorca when he was arrested last week.
Tolentino complained of Menorca’s public assertion which touches on the content of his judicial affidavit and which may affect the judicial proceedings of his case.
As a response, a lawyer Trixie Angeles, Menorca’s counsel, told the magistrates of the Court of Appeals that they would admonish their client regarding his media interviews.
Menorca was scheduled for cross examination last week, but while on his way going to the court, he was arrested in Manila by members of the Manila Police District by virtue of the warrants of arrest issued by courts in Marawi and Lanao del Norte.
The CA suspended the hearing, which will resume on Feb. 15, 2016.