Former Iglesia ni Cristo minister Lowell Menorca. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed that former Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) Minister Lowell Menorca II and his family left for Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam at 10:45 P.M. Sunday.
BI Spokesperson Nicky Reyes said Menorca has been allowed to leave the Philippines because there is no hold departure order (HDO) issued against him.
Reyes said even if Menorca has an outstanding arrest warrant but no hold departure order, he can still be allowed to leave the Philippines.
In this case, however, she said that aside from HDO, the bureau was not informed of any warrant for Menorca’s arrest.
Menorca is facing a string of criminal cases including several libel charges, adultery and estafa cases.
Records showed that Menorca, his wife Jinky and two-year old daughter left the Philippines on board Cebu Pacific Flight 751.