Iglesia ni Cristo minister's brother gave NBI ‘sensitive’ info – De Lima

The brother of Iglesia ni Cristo minister Lowell Menorca II's had to be placed under the Witness Protection Order due to the "sensitivity" of the information he has over the arrest of his brother.

 

"He asked for his protection and because he shared certain very sensitive information with respect to what happened to his brother," said De Lima on Monday.

 

The Justice secretary however refused to divulge what Anthony Menorca told the National Bureau of Investigation, which is currently probing claims that the religious group was behind several abductions of its ministers.

 

"Inuulit ko po, ongoing iyang [NBI probe]. Mali po yung mga naging reports dati, alluding to a purported statement from an NBI official na case closed," she said.

 

De Lima said she has already instructed NBI Director Virgilio Mendez to "discipline" Manuel Eduarte, chief of the NBI Anti-Organized Transnational Crime Division, for his "unauthorized and untrue" statement Monday last week that the NBI considers the case closed.

 

"Unang-una, yung NBI official na yan, yung supposedly nagsabi niyan na case closed ay hindi naman siya involved sa investigation. Hindi siya part of the team. Nagulat ako na nag-announce siya nang ganoon," De Lima said.

 

De Lima said with the help of Anthony Menorca, investigators were seeking to determine "which version is true."

 

"Lalo pa nga dapat alamin kung ano ang totoo kapag they dispute each other, brothers pa," she said.

 

Anthony earlier alleged that he could not get in touch with his brother Lowell, also known as Ka Boyet, after the latter was arrested in Cavite last July 17 for supposedly threatening commuters with a hand grenade.

 

Lowell was released last July 25 after the complainants against him signed affidavits of desistance.

 

However, Anthony claimed that Lowell, their mother, Lowell's family, and even visiting relatives from overseas were being held against their will at the church's main office on Central Avenue in Quezon City.

 

Anthony further alleged that he could not visit his relatives at the Central office because of the threats against him and his family.

The Iglesia minister told GMA News on Sunday that he and his family are staying at the Central office because he asked to.

 

Earlier, Lowell spoke on curch-owned television news station Net 25 and denied he was being detained at the Central office.

The supposed abductions came to light last month along with allegations of corruption within the influential church.

Church leaders have denied both the supposed abductions and the alleged corruption. — JDS, GMA News