QC court moves arraignment of ex-INC members Manalos to June 26

Felix Nathaniel “Angel” Villanueva Manalo (Contributed file photo)

MANILA — A Quezon City court has reset the arraignment of expelled Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) members Felix Nathaniel “Angel” Manalo, his nephew Victor Eraño Manalo Hemedez and Jonathan Ledesma to June 26.

Judge Luisito Cortez of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 84 ordered on Tuesday the suspension of the arraignment of Manalo and Hemedez for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition charges, and Ledesma for direct assault with frustrated murder charge.

The accused were arrested from the Manalo home inside the controversial INC compound at No. 36 Tandang Sora, during a police raid in accordance with a search warrant on March 2.

The warrant was issued to search of an alleged armory inside the house of the younger brother of INC executive minister Eduardo Manalo, after two security guards employed by INC were allegedly shot at days earlier.

Manalo, Hemedez and Ledesma are now detained at the Metro Manila District Jail at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig.

The court also set the hearing on the motion to quash the search warrant on April 17, after the Manalo camp alleged irregularities in the proceedings for the issuance of the search warrant.  SFM/rga