Iglesia ni Cristo minister released from Cavite jail
LOS BAÑOS, Laguna – The arrested minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo was released Saturday, after more than a week in the city jail in Dasmariñas, Cavite.
Bro. Lowell “Boyet” Menorca II, 38, was freed at 7 p.m. on Saturday after Dasmariñas City Assistant Prosecutor Emmanuel Rivera issued a release order because the “complaint (against Menorca) has been withdrawn,” according to Superintendent Joseph Arguelles, the chief of police of Dasmariñas City.
Menorca left the jail with his legal counsel Allen Blair Boy and the local police have no information where they were headed to, Arguelles said.
Just before his release, Menorca “talked several times with his wife” on the phone provided by Boy, according to a source at the city police in a separate phone interview.
The source said no one from his family ever paid a visit in the city jail.
Menorca, the son of the late INC Administrative Secretary Lowell Menorca, was arrested in Dasmariñas City on July 17 after threatening two construction workers with a hand grenade. It turned out that the grenade’s pin was taped, allowing the workers to call the police.
Menorca was held on charges of grave threats and illegal possession of an explosive.
Menorca was taken in handcuffs with his head covered with a jacket by a group of men who came on board several vehicles to the INC church in the village of Butag in Bulan, Sorsogon on July 17, the village’s chief, Benito Gliponeo, had told the Inquirer on Friday.
Bulan’s deputy police chief, Inspector Deo Cabildo, also revealed that a convoy of six vehicles – SUVs, pick ups and a Toyota Innova, arrived in Bulan 11 a.m. on July 11 and had introduced themselves as members of INC when stopped by the local police.
The group had explained they were on their way to Butag to “fetch” their minister and to bring him the INC central office. They left the town about an hour later but Cabildo said he did not know if Menorca was with them.
Earlier, a blog post written by a certain Antonio Ramirez Ebangelista named Menorca as one of the nine ministers allegedly expelled or kidnapped for being critical of the church. The blog said that Menorca was handcuffed and a white cloth thrown over his face while officiating a service in Bulan.
But Boy, who was sent by the INC council to represent Menorca denied reports of abduction. He declined to answer when asked why Menorca was in Cavite.
Menorca, who refused to speak to reporters, has issued an affidavit to the police saying that he was not abducted.
Arguelles said they turned over the grenade allegedly recovered from Menorca to the police explosive and ordnance division.
“He looked happy to me,” Arguelles said, when asked how Menorca seemed when the release order came out.
