(Eagle News) — Angel Manalo, the brother of Iglesia Ni Cristo Executive Minister Eduardo V. Manalo, told the police and members of the press on Friday, July 24, that they have not been hostaged at all in their Tandang Sora residence.
“Hindi ko po sinabi yun,” he told members of the press who interviewed him early Friday when asked about the alleged hostage-taking incident.
He said that only a kid inside their house, played a prank, and was the one who flashed the signboard on their window that read: “Tulong, hostage kami.”
“Hindi po. Meron pong batang nagbibiro lang po,” the younger Manalo said, as he answered questions from reporters.
Speaking for the first time after he was expelled from the INC, Angel Manalo said he was not challenging nor fighting his elder brother.
“Inuulit ko lang po, mahal po namin ang kapatid na Eduardo V. Manalo, kaya lang po nalulungkot po kami sa nangyayari ngayon,” he said.
Members of the Quezon City Police monitored the situation in the Manalo’s Tandang Sora residence, and said that they are still awaiting if there would be a complaint filed regarding the alleged abduction.
Edwil Zabala, spokesperson of the INC, said they are inviting members of the media to see for themselves if there was a hostage incident happening as earlier claimed by Angel Manalo.
“Pagkatapos ng matagal na pag-uusap ay sa wakas lumitaw si Mr. Angel Manalo at ang una nyang statement kay General Pagdilao ay hindi sila hinohostage,” Zabala said.
“Nung tinanong kung ano yung nakikitang karatula sa bintana, ang unang claim ay yung batang kasama nila ang naglalagay dahil nababahala daw sa nangyayari, at pagkatapos noon, a few minutes later, nung finally nakumbinsi siyang lumabas, pero ayaw pa rin niyang magpapasok, nabago na ang kaniyang statement, ginawa daw ng bata pero hindi na dahil nababahala kundi dahil nagbibiro,” Zabala told reporters.
Chief Supt. Joel Pagdilao, Quezon City Police District chief, said they have opened their lines to the members of the Manalo family who had earlier claimed in a Youtube video that there was a threat to their lives.
He said they went to the area to validate if there was really an abduction.
Even Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista said that upon investigation by the police, there was no hostage-taking that took place.
“Ako’y naniniwala na wala namang hostage-taking. Ako’y naniniwala na wala namang violent incident tulad sa mga nababasa natin,” Bautista said.
Bautista also said that he had talked to Pagdilao and that the latter had stressed that there were no ministers beng detained in Camp Karingal, nor was there any truth to the claim that these ministers were being tortured.
“Si District director himself told me that.. denying supposedly ministers na nasa Camp Karingal ngayon who are being tortured, it is not actually true,” Bautista said.
Zabala said it is clear that these abduction claims were not true.
“Samakatuwid po, hanggang kaninang mga, siguro alas dos ng madaling araw, napatunayan po ng media, at maging ng kapulisan, kasama po si Mayor Herbert Bautista at maging yung mga nandoon na naguusyoso, ay pawang kasinungalingan po yung kanilang pilit na ipinakakalat sa publiko na silang nasa loob ay hinohostage, na silang naroon sa loob ay walang kalayaang maglabas-pasok,” Zabala said.
“Ang tangi lamang pong dahilan pala,kaya’t nagsalita si Mr. Angel ay naghahanap siya ng simpatiya ng publiko,” the INC spokesperson said.
The Iglesia Ni Cristo had already denied claims on corruption brought about by the younger Manalo.