(Eagle News) — The Quezon City police district chief said they would file complaints for illegal possession of firearms against 27 expelled Iglesia Ni Cristo members, including siblings Felix Nathaniel “Angel” Manalo and Lolita “Lottie” Hemedez, who were rounded up on Thursday for questioning.
This was after police found a cache of unlicensed firearms and ammunition in their residence at no. 36 Tandang Sora Avenue in Quezon City Thursday morning.
Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar, QCPD director, said Angel Manalo and the others who were brought to the QCPD for questioning could not present any license of ownership for the firearms seized by the police in their residence.
The seized high powered firearms included a shotgun, an M16 rifle, a rifle grenade, and more than a hundred ammunition.
On the basis of a search warrant, the Quezon City police inspected the compound where the expelled INC members were staying on Thursday morning (March 2).
Eleazar explained the said warrant was issued on the basis of accounts from eyewitnesses that the expelled INC members were keeping an armory there.
He said that the 27 of those rounded up would “most likely” be charged with violation of the Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunitions or Republic Act No. 10951. (See related story: https://www.eaglenews.ph/featured-news/expelled-inc-members-rounded-up-by-police-after-shooting-incident/)
-Frustrated murder and direct assault charges vs Navy “deserter”
Jonathan Ledesma, one of the residents in the compound and allegedly a Philippine Navy “deserter”, would also be charged with frustrated murder and direct assault charges.
Ledesma allegedly shot and wounded two police officers during the raid.
They were identified in a police report as PO2 Henry Hular and PO3 Joemarie Oandasan of the QCPD-Special Reaction Unit.
Ledesma allegedly shot them with an M16 rifle.
Both police officers were still at the St. Luke’s Medical Center as of Friday.
Eleazar said Hular was reportedly in critical condition. He was shot in the shoulder and in the stomach, which caused severe wounds in his liver, intestines, and kidney, he said.
Oandasan, on the other hand, was wounded in the leg.
It was also ascertained that not one bullet was fired by INC guards.
Eleazar said five of the 32 people rounded up on Thursday would be released.
“Yung lima kasi dalawa ang minor,” he said, adding that the three others were really not a part of the Manalos’ household as they were just brought there for “safety.”
He said these five persons, whom he did not identify anymore, can leave the District Public Safety Battalion (DPSB) building where they have been held since Thursday afternoon.
But the 27 to be charged would have to stay at Camp Karingal, the QCPD’s headquarters, “until charges are filed or when their commitment and release orders are issued.”
He added that depending on the decision of the prosecutor who would handle their cases, those to be charged with illegal possession of firearms may post bail.
