Ex-INC minister鈥檚 helper denies detention, says parents coerced

By: Yuji Vincent Gonzales - 9 years ago

The househelp of expelled Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) minister Lowell Menorca II has denied allegations that he was detaining her against her will and was being forced to testify in the case hounding the leadership of the influential religious sect.

In a series of videos obtained by 黑料社, an emotional Abegail Yanson, 24, said her parents were being manipulated and pressured by the Sanggunian, the INC鈥檚 highest administrative council, when they claimed that she was being illegally detained by Menorca.

鈥淢asakit po sa akin na nakikita ko 鈥榶ung mga magulang ko sa TV na puro kasinungalingan ang sinasabi tungkol sa mag-asawa (Menorca),鈥� Yanson said in the video.

She added, 鈥淣apakasakit po. Nagagalit ako sa Sanggunian. Sobrang nagagalit po ako kasi magulang ko na po 鈥榶ung hawak eh. Tapos kung anu-anong salita po 鈥榶ung pinagsasasabi nila na alam nilang hindi totoo. Kaya po nila sinasabi 鈥榶un kasi natatakot sila. Tinatakot silang matiwalag,鈥� she said.

BACKSTORY: Ex-Iglesia ni Cristo minister holding househelp, says girl鈥檚 mom

Yanson, together with Menorca, his wife Jinky were allegedly abducted and detained by INC members at the sect鈥檚 central compound in Quezon City after Menorca was suspected to be among those who were writing anti-church articles. They were rescued from INC custody in mid-October 2015.

Yanson said her mother Rosalie, who recently surfaced and appealed to Menorca to release her daughter, was following orders from top church officials out of fear of being expelled.

鈥淪ana huwag kayong matakot na sabihin 鈥榶ung totoo. Kasi bumisita pa nga si papa nung July 29. Pinapauwi ako. Gustong isama pauwi pero hindi po ako pinayagan na umuwi na Ka Erds Codera at Rholand Esguerra,鈥� she said.

READ: Iglesia minister鈥檚 lawyer denies househelp held against her will | Police tried to 鈥榬escue鈥� househelp,鈥� says Menorca lawyer

Yanson noted that she volunteered to stay with Menorca and his wife because she knew that something bad would happen to them.

Abegail Yanson stresses that ex-INC minister Lowell Menorca II was not holding her against her will. The Menorca househelp also claims that the leadership of the Iglesia ni Cristo was forcing her parents to lie to discredit her employers. SCREENGRAB FROM VIDEO

鈥淲alang katotohanan na hindi nila ako pinapayagang umuwi dahil nung mga araw na noon, nung hindi pa bumibisita papa ko, sinasabihan na po ako ni Ka Jinky, uuwi ka na ba. Pinagpaalam pa po ako ni Ka Jinky sa kanila pero hindi po sila pumayag. Hindi ko po kayang iwan si Ka Jinky. Dahil alam ko na may mangyayaring hindi maganda sa 鈥榢in o sa kanila. Kaya hindi ko po sinunod na uuwi ako nanatili ako sa kanila,鈥� she said.

Yanson appealed to the church leadership to free her parents and to stop pressuring them to tell lies, and urged the latter to come out and bare the truth.

鈥淪ana palayain n鈥檡o po sila, hayaan n鈥檡o po silang pagsalitain na wala pong bantay鈥︹€� she said.

To her parents, Yanson said, 鈥淢a, Pa, sana ilabas n鈥檡o po 鈥榶ung katotohanan, 鈥榳ag po kayong matakot na matiwalag. Dahil 鈥榶un po ang panakot nila eh, ang matiwalag kayo. Kilala n鈥檡o 鈥榶ung mag-asawa. Kilala n鈥檡o si Ka Jinky, kilala n鈥檡o si Ka Lowell. Hindi totoong hinarang ako ni Ka-Lowell,鈥� Yanson stressed.