Ex-Iglesia minister Menorca may face two libel suits

Lowell Menorca II, the Iglesia ni Cristo minister who was allegedly detained together with his family by INC leaders, may face two libel suits over his alleged accusations against a communicators' group.

"Unang Balita" on Wednesday morning said that members of the Society of Communicators and Networkers (SCAN) in Albay are set to file a libel suit against Menorca.

The libel complaint supposedly stemmed from Menorca's allegations that the SCAN is a "hit squad" of the Iglesia ni Cristo.

SCAN president Ariel Higuit was quoted in the report as saying that Menorca's allegation has caused damage to the group's name and credibility.

To clear the group's name, Higuit said, they will also file a libel suit against Menorca.

Earlier, Jose Reyes of SCAN in San Jose City in Nueva Ecija filed a libel case against the former minister.

Reyes' lawyer had also denied Menorca's allegation that the SCAN is a death squad.

According to Reyes' lawyer, the SCAN is a disaster-response group of the INC and not a hit squad.

Meanwhile, Menorca's lawyer Trixie Cruz-Angeles said that her client had revealed that a plan to arrest him is being readied, possibly on a three-year-old case.

But Angeles said their camp would contest the arrest warrant, telling reporters at the Court of Appeals that their camp should have been first notified of a preliminary investigation before such an arrest warrant could be served.

She added that an arrest warrant that did not go through the regular process was "quashable" or dismissable.

News about Menorca's "rescue" from his supposed detetion was revealed last Friday. 

"After several months, Lowell Menorca and his family have been rescued. The case for the issuance of the writ of amparo before the Supreme Court en banc, will proceed," Atty. Angeles said.

Menorca's brother Anthony last week asked the Supreme Court to issue writs of amparo and habeas corpus against Iglesia ni Cristo leaders, including its executive minister Eduardo Manalo, Rodel Cortez, Bienvenido Santiago and Rolando Esguerra. — LBG, GMA News