Parents of Yanson file illegal detention complaint vs Menorca

WHO put her arms around Abegail Yanson, the househelp of expelled Iglesia ni Cristo minister Lowell Menorca during Nov. 3 hearing at the Court of Appeals? Her mother or a member of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG)?

Yanson’s parents Candido and Rosalie, in a complaint filed with the Department of Justice for illegal detention against Menorca and wife Jingky, said it was them who approached their daughter whom they have not seen for months.

In their sworn statement, the parents said they last saw their daughter last July.

During the Court of Appeals hearing last Tuesday, Nov. 3, Rosalie said they went there to see their daughter and when the court went on recess, they approached her so they could at least hug her.

“Sinabi namin sa kanya ‘anak payakap naman, matagal ka na naming hindi nakita. Nag-aalala na kami sa’yo.’ Subalit hinarangan kami ng mag-asawang Menorca, ng kanilang abogado at mga gwardiya na nakapalibot sa kanila. Pilit kaming tinaboy at tinabig kahit na noong sabihin namin na anak namin si Abegail at gusto lang namin siyang mayakap,” they said in their sworn affidavit submitted to the DOJ.

They said they contented themselves with sitting behind the Court of Appeals session hall to see her from afar but one of the security personnel approached them and ushered them out not only outside the session hall but of the Court of Appeals building.

“Malinaw sa mga sumusunod na pangyayari na ang aming anak na babae na si Abegail Yansan na ang pagka-detain ay labag sa batas,” the parents said.

Abegail Yanson who was with the Menorca’s last Wednesday said a woman put her arms around her and tried to whisked her away from the Menorcas.

When asked by Associate Justice Magdangal de Leon if the woman was her mother or someone else, she said the woman was not her mother.

“May umakbay po hinihila nya ako palayo. Yung akbay nya po malakas,” Abegail said on the verge of tears.

According to Abegail’s parents, their daughter has been helping the Menorca’s in the household chores and taking care of their baby daughter since September 2014 while the couple was in Bulan, Sorsogon.

Then, on July 16, 2015, they said Jingky took their daughter to Bulan proper. However, they learned later on that their daughter was taken to Manila. Still, they said they were not worried because they learned that their daughter was staying at the INC Central in Quezon City.

When they visited their daughter on July 29, they said Abegail wanted to return home but Menorca won’t let her.

Then, in October 2015, they said they received a call from Abegail telling them that she is afraid of the Menorca couple.

“Ang sabi nya ay umalis na sila sa kanilang tinutuluyan sa Central. Tinanong namin ang dahilan pero hindi daw niya alam kung bakit. Sinabi niya na dinala sya sa isang lugar na hindi niya alam kung saan. Nagsabi sya kay Mr. Menorca na uuwi na siya pero siya ay sinabihan na papatayin sya,” they said.