(Eagle News) – The scheduled ocular inspection of the Iglesia Ni Cristo property at no. 36 Tandang Sora Avenue in Quezon City did not push through on Tuesday, Dec. 15, after both the petitioners and respondents in the case agreed to have it postponed.
Quezon City court sheriff Neri Loy did not say when the ocular inspection would be reset.
In a court order issued on December 9, Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Edgar Dalmacio Santos granted the INC lawyers’ petition for an ocular inspection of the said property where ex-INC minister Felix Nathaniel “Angel” Manalo and sister Lottie Hemedez have been allowed to stay even after their expulsion from the church last July.
The court ordered the said inspection “to determine the number of and identities of all occupants, whether regular or not, as well as persons who visit and allowed access to the subject property.”
Judge Edgar Santos had previously directed Sheriff Neri Loy to “note the number and location of ingress and egress points” in the compound as well as the procedures implemented for it.
Aside from the Sheriff, representatives of the INC and of Angel Manalo’s group were instructed to be present during the inspection, along with police officers and barangay authorities.
But a short commotion happened during the supposed ocular inspection when the respondents led by Angel Manalo tried to get members of the media inside the premises, in violation of the conditions of the ocular inspection.
He even shoved security personnel aside as he came out briefly from the compound, together with some of his house helpers. He was however, immediately pulled back in by one of his men.
While Angel blamed the construction of an INC fence inside the INC’s own property, the Quezon City court sheriff stressed that the fence-construction inside the property had nothing to do with the postponement of the ocular inspection.
Angel also told reporters outside the compound’s gate that he only wanted to talk to his elder brother INC Executive Minister Bro. Eduardo V. Manalo to explain their condition. But when asked by a reporter about the number of “affected individuals” inside the property, he refused to give an answer and instead went back immediately inside the compound.
A source said that Angel and his group would try to get sympathy from media as they continue with their campaign to discredit the INC’s leadership.
The court’s order for inspection is part of the ongoing case INC filed against Angel Manalo and company seeking legal injunction of its property. This was prompted by CCTV-recorded incidents in which unidentified men wearing masks were coming in and out of the property without due permission from INC officials.
INC spokersperson Bro. Edwil Zabala said that the INC hoped that with the ocular inspection the identities of the occupants in the Tandang Sora property would be determined, as respondents Angel and Lottie, through their lawyers, had failed to give an accounting of the persons residing in the compound, as well as the persons they have been allowing inside the compound.
The INC had also presented photographs of masked and armed men who had previously gained entry inside its Tandang Sora property.
Zabala said this had alarmed the Church since it had not given any permission for these persons to enter its compound.
Zabala said that the INC hoped that order and safety would return to the INC’s T. Sora premises which is just adjacent to the INC Central Office compound.
He said that the INC would also wish to avoid the previous incidents when it had not been properly informed of incidents happening inside its own compound.
Zabala cited the event which happened in November when a driver of Angel Manalo fell ill while inside the compound, but Angel and all those living in the area failed to inform the INC about his medical and health condition.
He said that with the ocular inspection, the INC would finally know what Angel and his co-respondents are trying to hide inside the INC’s own compound. (Eagle News Service)
Statement from Iglesia Ni Cristo spokesperson Bro. Edwil Zabala
“Bilang pagtalima sa atas ng hukuman, sisimulan sana sa araw na ito (Dec. 15) sa pamumuno ng mga kinatawan ng kaugnay na ahensya ng pamahalaan ang ocular inspection sa #36 Tandang Sora Avenue matapos ang paglabag sa utos ng korte ng mga kasalukuyang nakatira sa nasabing pamamahay hinggil sa pagbibigay ng talaan ng mga taong pinapayagan nilang pumasok nang walang angkop na pahintulot sa may-ari ng nasabing compound.
Ang nasabing proseso, na itutuloy, ay batay sa pagnanais na ibalik at muling pangalagaan ang kaayusan at katiwasayan sa nabanggit na ari-arian, matapos mapansin ng mga kinauukulan ang paglabas-masok ng mga hindi kilala at armadong kalalakihan. Iniiwasan din ng mga nangangasiwa sa nasabing compound na maulit ang nangyari ilang linggo na ang nakalilipas kung saan may taong walang-malay na inilabas sa compound at sa kasawiang-palad ay bigong magbigay ng kapaliwanagan sa totoong pangyayari sa loob bago ito binawian ng buhay.”
(English version)
“In obedience to the order issued by the court, the ocular inspection of the property at no. 36 Tandang Sora Avenue should have started today after the failure of the residents inside the said compound to comply with the previous order of the court to give a list of persons whom they have been allowing to enter inside the premises without permission from its owner.
This process, which will be pushed through, is based on the hope of the property owner that order and safety be returned to the said property; this, after its attention was called to the entry and exit of unknown and armed men in the compound.
The administrators of the said compound would also wish to avoid the previous incident which had happened several weeks before when an unconscious man was taken out of the place; unfortunately there was no clear explanation as to the real incidents that took place before this person died.”