(Eagle News) — The lead counsel of the Iglesia Ni Cristo has asked the Quezon City court to look into the alleged presence of men carrying high-powered firearms inside the INC’s property at no. 36. Tandang Sora Avenue, in Quezon City where siblings Angel Manalo and Lottie Hemedez are staying.
During the hearing for the preliminary injunction petition filed by the INC, lawyer Serafin Cuevas Jr., noted “certain disturbing events” inside the said INC compound.
“This morning, we have received information that was quite disturbing,” Cuevas told Judge Judge Edgar Dalmacio Santos of Quezon City regional trial court branch 222 during Friday’s hearing.
He said CCTV footages showed several suspicious looking men trying to enter the INC’s property, and also showed the judge photos were the lead defense lawyer, Atty. Trixie Angeles, came to the premises, along with former army captain Nicanor Faeldon.
Based on records, four of the “visitors” who tried to enter the INC premises at no. 36 Tandang Sora had been declared as “deserters” or on AWOL by the military. They are Joseph Sabbaluca, John Santiago, Jonathan Ledesma, and Cochi Briagas Ayad.
Angeles was not at the hearing on Friday, Oct. 9. The other defense counsel, Atty. Ahmed Paglinawan, said she had other matters to attend to.
Paglinawan claimed that there was nothing wrong with Faeldon’s visit to the compound.
“Our clients also want their own security,” Paglinawan told the court.
Paglinawan explained that Faeldon co-owns and manages a security agency and that no report of untoward criminal incidents happened in the area.
But Cuevas told the judge of other more “disturbing events” inside the T. Sora compound of the INC that had caught their attention.
He told the judge that there were photos taken from inside the T. Sora property revealing the presence of unidentified men carrying “high powered” rifles.
One of them was earlier posted by DZIQ Radyo Inquirer reporter Jong Manlapaz in his tweeter account.
This was also showed by Cuevas to the judge, along with other photos taken from footages of the CCTV security cameras in the area.
Cuevas told the judge that these unidentified men carrying high-powered rifles inside the INC’s T. Sora compound are not INC Security personnel.
“We don’t know who they are and why they are armed to the teeth,” a visibly disturbed Cuevas said.
He noted that the area is very near the INC’s main offices along Central Avenue in Diliman Quezon City, where the INC Executive Minister Bro. Eduardo V. Manalo’s office, is also located, which is why, he said, this was very disturbing and alarming.
Lawyer Paglinawan, however, told the court that he knew nothing about the men allegedly carrying firearms inside the INC’s T. Sora property where his clients are staying.
The court then reminded both parties “not to exacerbate” the situation, saying that it is “best to resolve this matter peacefully.”
Cuevas, also noted that the defense had not provided them the promised list of persons actually staying inside the INC’s premises in Tandang Sora, Quezon City.
Cuevas said that considering the “disturbing” events happening inside the T. Sora compound, he asked the court that the INC security personnel be allowed to take a look inside the INC property currently being occupied by the Manalo siblings who had been expelled from the Church in July.
But Paglinawan vehemently objected to this.
Cuevas had earlier said that “the INC as the owner of the property has the right to security”. He also maintained that the INC has the right to post guards outside its own premises since the T. Sora property is owned by the INC, which was even earlier admitted by defense lawyers. (Eagle News Service)
