The househelp of expelled Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) minister Lowell Menorca II has denied allegations that he was detaining her against her will and was being forced to testify in the case hounding the leadership of the influential religious sect.
In a series of videos obtained by INQUIRER.net, an emotional Abegail Yanson, 24, said her parents were being manipulated and pressured by the Sanggunian, the INC’s highest administrative council, when they claimed that she was being illegally detained by Menorca.
“Masakit po sa akin na nakikita ko ‘yung mga magulang ko sa TV na puro kasinungalingan ang sinasabi tungkol sa mag-asawa (Menorca),” Yanson said in the video.
She added, “Napakasakit po. Nagagalit ako sa Sanggunian. Sobrang nagagalit po ako kasi magulang ko na po ‘yung hawak eh. Tapos kung anu-anong salita po ‘yung pinagsasasabi nila na alam nilang hindi totoo. Kaya po nila sinasabi ‘yun kasi natatakot sila. Tinatakot silang matiwalag,” she said.
BACKSTORY: Ex-Iglesia ni Cristo minister holding househelp, says girl’s mom
Yanson, together with Menorca, his wife Jinky were allegedly abducted and detained by INC members at the sect’s central compound in Quezon City after Menorca was suspected to be among those who were writing anti-church articles. They were rescued from INC custody in mid-October 2015.
Yanson said her mother Rosalie, who recently surfaced and appealed to Menorca to release her daughter, was following orders from top church officials out of fear of being expelled.
“Sana huwag kayong matakot na sabihin ‘yung totoo. Kasi bumisita pa nga si papa nung July 29. Pinapauwi ako. Gustong isama pauwi pero hindi po ako pinayagan na umuwi na Ka Erds Codera at Rholand Esguerra,” she said.
READ: Iglesia minister’s lawyer denies househelp held against her will | Police tried to ‘rescue’ househelp,’ says Menorca lawyer
Yanson noted that she volunteered to stay with Menorca and his wife because she knew that something bad would happen to them.
Abegail Yanson stresses that ex-INC minister Lowell Menorca II was not holding her against her will. The Menorca househelp also claims that the leadership of the Iglesia ni Cristo was forcing her parents to lie to discredit her employers. SCREENGRAB FROM VIDEO
“Walang katotohanan na hindi nila ako pinapayagang umuwi dahil nung mga araw na noon, nung hindi pa bumibisita papa ko, sinasabihan na po ako ni Ka Jinky, uuwi ka na ba. Pinagpaalam pa po ako ni Ka Jinky sa kanila pero hindi po sila pumayag. Hindi ko po kayang iwan si Ka Jinky. Dahil alam ko na may mangyayaring hindi maganda sa ‘kin o sa kanila. Kaya hindi ko po sinunod na uuwi ako nanatili ako sa kanila,” she said.
Yanson appealed to the church leadership to free her parents and to stop pressuring them to tell lies, and urged the latter to come out and bare the truth.
“Sana palayain n’yo po sila, hayaan n’yo po silang pagsalitain na wala pong bantay…” she said.
To her parents, Yanson said, “Ma, Pa, sana ilabas n’yo po ‘yung katotohanan, ‘wag po kayong matakot na matiwalag. Dahil ‘yun po ang panakot nila eh, ang matiwalag kayo. Kilala n’yo ‘yung mag-asawa. Kilala n’yo si Ka Jinky, kilala n’yo si Ka Lowell. Hindi totoong hinarang ako ni Ka-Lowell,” Yanson stressed.
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