Witnesses weaken case vs INC – lawyers

MANILA, Philippines - The case of expelled minister Lowell Menorca II against the Iglesia ni Cristo leaders was weakened by inconsistencies in the testimonies of his witnesses before the Court of Appeals (CA), INC lawyers said yesterday.

They said they believe the loopholes in the statements of Menorca’s wife Jinky, brother Anthony and nanny Abegail Yanson were very clear and put into question their credibility as witnesses in the habeas corpus and amparo petitions.

Lawyer Salvador Peña cited the admission of Jinky that she did not personally witness her husband being taken by armed men last July in Bulan, Sorsogon – contrary to the claim of her twin sister Jungko Otsuka in the petition.

During cross-examination, Jinky said it was Yanson who just told her about the incident.

Jinky also claimed that her sister did not visit her while they were held in the INC compound in Quezon City, but Jungko denied this in her affidavit and admitted she visited the former several times, Peña said.

Peña also got Jinky to admit that she and the rest of her family were able to leave their apartment for church, the gym, badminton court, the canteen and the other facilities in the INC central compound in Quezon City, go to the hospital, and even bring their balikbayan visitors to the Philippine Arena in Bulacan during their alleged detention.

The petition earlier alleged that the family was harassed and made to live deplorable conditions while under INC custody, but Yanson said upon cross-examination that the family “was treated well.”

Raps may be dismissed

Meanwhile, a lawyer yesterday said he sees the dismissal of the criminal complaint for “harassment, illegal detention, threats and coercion” filed by expelled minister Isaias Samson against officials of the INC, which is currently awaiting resolution by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Sigfrid Fortun told reporters the complaint failed to “pinpoint the ultimate facts that establish probable cause for the criminal offenses” Samson alleged.

He said there were allegations on the taking of mobile phones and computers from Samson and his family members but “no charges of theft or robbery were made – most likely because none of these articles belonged to the Samsons.”

There were also allegations that INC officials misappropriated money but there was no estafa charge, Fortun added.

“Among other things, there was a complaint for ‘harassment,’ which is not even defined as a crime in the Revised Penal Code,” he also said.