PNP to probe ‘kidnap’ of Iglesia minister

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police (PNP) will investigate allegations by an expelled minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) that some members of the Quezon City Police took part in his kidnapping and detention at the religious group’s compound where he reportedly suffered torture and harassment for three months before being rescued last week.

PNP chief Director General Ricardo Marquez issued the order in the wake of revelations by former INC minister Lowell Menorca II that the INC leadership had him kidnapped and held against his will with the help of some Quezon City policemen who were INC members.

“The cleansing in the PNP is a daily activity. We continue to make sure that appropriate actions are instituted, implemented against our people who are involved in any illegal activities… we will coordinate with the complainants, we’ll ask them to substantiate their complaints and allegation,” Marquez told reporters at Camp Crame in Quezon City yesterday.

Marquez said illegal activities by any PNP personnel would never be tolerated and would be dealt with severely.

“What the PNP is doing is law enforcement without fear or favor. We don’t care about race, creed, religion in discharging our duty. If somebody violates the law then PNP reacts accordingly – enforce the law, maintain peace and order. That is our mandate,” Marquez said.

He said it has been his position since assuming office to weed the force out of misfits and corrupt and reward the performer.

“From the very beginning, I have said that we will reward the performer but we should be very hard on those who violate the law and betray their oath,” the PNP chief pointed out.

Marquez said he would instruct Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) director Chief Superintendent Victor Deona to closely examine the video of the arrest of Menorca to verify the involvement of some policemen.

“I heard there was a video, I will ask the CIDG chief to watch the video and so that we will find out if our personnel were involved in the abduction one way or the other,” he noted.

Menorca said he was kidnapped in Bulan, Sorsogon by Quezon City policemen on July 17 after a church service.

Menorca said the police officers ordered him to lie face down after, which he was handcuffed for 17 hours, as he pleaded and begged for his life.

He said the INC leadership wanted to get information from him about a certain Antonio Ebangelista who wrote in his blog about anomalies in the INC.

Don’t prejudge

As the PNP prepares to join the Department of Justice (DOJ) in the investigation of the alleged abduction and detention, Vice President Jejomar Binay urged authorities to observe due process and the rule of law.

Binay also appealed to the public not to prejudge the INC leadership.

“I hope they will handle it with the rule of law not the rule by law,” Binay told reporters on the sidelines of the 41st Philippine Business Conference and Expo at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City.

The Vice President even likened the INC’s predicament to his own, saying he himself is a victim of false allegations raised by his political opponents.

Binay is facing five plunder and graft complaints before the Ombudsman in connection with the alleged corruption in various infrastructure projects in Makati during his stint as mayor.

“Even I was a victim of demolition by perception. Let’s not jump to conclusions,” he said.

Asked if the INC should be charged, Binay said: “You are assuming that there’s already a conviction. These are still allegations. It has yet to be proven. You must have to listen to the explanation.”

The DOJ received the serious illegal detention complaint against the INC before its head Leila de Lima resigned to run for senator.

Meanwhile, the seventh division of the Court of Appeals (CA) will take over the petition for writs of habeas corpus and amparo filed against INC officials by Menorca’s brother Anthony and sister-in-law Jungko Otsuka.

In raffle yesterday, the case remanded to the CA by the Supreme Court was assigned to the division of Associate Justices Victoria Isabel Paredes, Magdangal de Leon and Elihu Ybañez.

The appellate court is set to hear the case on Nov. 3 at 10 a.m. as earlier set by the SC.

The CA division will receive the answers of respondents  – including the church’s executive minister Eduardo Manalo and three members of its Sanggunian or governing council – Radel Cortez, Bienvenido Santiago and Rolando Esguerra.

Based on the SC writs of habeas corpus and amparo, the CA must also decide on the case within 10 days after hearing all sides of parties.

In their petition last week, Anthony and Jungko asked the high court to compel the INC leadership to release Lowell and his immediate family from its custody.

They also asked the SC to enjoin the church leaders “from doing further harm and even from approaching or transacting” with their family.

Through lawyer Trixie Cruz-Angeles, petitioners alleged that Menorca was abducted and held against his will for months.

Angeles is also the lawyer of another expelled minister Isaias Samson Jr., who earlier filed criminal charges of harassment, illegal detention, threats and coercion against members of the Sanggunian before the DOJ.

Angeles earlier said they would focus on the amparo petition since Lowell and family had been released. Their amparo petition was intended to make the court issue a protection order for Menorca.

A writ of amparo is a remedy available to any person whose right to life, liberty and security has been violated or threatened. A writ of habeas corpus, on the other hand, is a legal action sought on behalf of a person who has been unlawfully detained.   

Don’t just give alms

In Tarlac over the weekend, President Aquino lauded achievements by the local Baptist church but decried some religious groups’ fixation on providing doleouts and expanding its influence, but ignoring injustices and other social ills. He did not name any specific religious group.

Aquino issued the pronouncement at the inauguration of the first Baptist church in his hometown. Many politicians pander to religious groups especially during elections.

The President, the son of the late devoutly Catholic president Cory Aquino, said he has high respect for the group of Bishop Jonel Milan of K4 Philippines of the Tarlac First Baptist Church.

He cited the church’s contribution to uplifting the lives of ordinary people.

“We are our brother’s keeper,” he said in a speech he delivered late Sunday afternoon.

“Our challenge is, instead of being contented with merely giving alms, we should fight the system that breeds injustice and keeps our people in poverty,” he said in Filipino.

He said even the principle of the separation of church and state is being used to justify apathy and silence to realities in society.

He said even the Catholic Church is not guiltless in this regard as it had played a role in preserving Spanish colonialism in the Philippines for more than three centuries.

He said he is glad the Second Vatican Council has provided a new impetus to the Church’s teachings on social justice

“It’s alright to be mindful of how we run our life in this world, because it can guide us in our quest for eternal life,” he said, referring to the message of the Second Vatican Council.

“When I was a child, I used to ask myself: who’s the greater sinner? Is it someone who is forced to steal so he can feed his family or is it a wealthy politician who still has the gumption to steal from the nation’s coffers?” Edu Punay, Helen Flores, Delon Porcalla