Menorca skips CA hearing anew; Iglesia Ni Cristo wants case rendered moot  

Expelled Iglesia Ni Cristo minister Lowell Menorca has skipped anew a hearing at the Court of Appeals, two weeks after he was reported to have flown to Vietnam amid supposed threats to his and his family's lives.

During Monday's hearing, Menorca's legal counsel Trixie Cruz-Angeles manifested that she still has not spoken with her client and could not explain why Menorca was absent again to testify.

Menorca, who was expelled from the religious group for allegedly spreading lies against the organization, was supposed to be cross-examined in connection with a petition seeking protection through a writ of amparo and habeas corpus.

The writ of amparo and habeas corpus was filed by Lowell's brother Anthony and Jinky's sister Jungko against Iglesia Ni Cristo executive minister Eduardo Manalo and several other officials of the church group who allegedly illegally detained Lowell, Jinky and their daughter.

The legal counsels of the Iglesia Ni Cristo from the ACCRA law firm moved that the case be rendered moot and academic considering Menorca’s continued non-appearance and apparent lack of interest.

The CA ordered both parties to submit their respective position papers on the mootness of Menorca’s petition.

“It’s becoming clear that Mr. Menorca is hiding from the court, and is running out of excuses for doing so. How else can you explain his successive non-appearance?," said ACCRA lawyer Trina Prodigalidad.

"The CA was correct in denying his lawyer’s motion to have another witness substitute for him. He should be the one testifying on this matter he himself brought before the Court of Appeals,” she added.

Lowell's brother Anthony earlier alleged that he could not get in touch with Lowell, also known as Ka Boyet, who was arrested in Cavite in July for supposedly threatening commuters with a hand grenade.

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

The nine-page petition by Anthony and Jungko claimed Lowell was "forcibly" taken by armed men on July 16, 2015 after a church service at the Iglesia Ni Cristo chapel in Bulan, Sorsogon.

On March 7, Angeles informed the appeals court that Menorca told her the night before (March 6) that he and his family were at the airport ready to leave the country.

The Bureau of Immigration later confirmed that the Menorcas flew to Vietnam.

In his supposed "official" FB page, Menorca posted around early morning of March 7 a photo of the death threat they had received.

In the photo was Menorca, his wife Jinky Otsuka-Menorca, and their daughter, with her face crossed out.

Printed on the photo were the words: "March 7, 2016. Say goodbye!!! - Mandirigma."

"Somebody left this at the windshield of our car in our safehouse," Menorca said in his post.

"This time they have gone too far. I'm begging you... please leave my daughter alone!!!," he ended. — RSJ, GMA News