What’s the matter here?
Atty. Trixie Cruz Angeles — a lawyer for the expelled siblings of Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) executive minister Eduardo Manalo — and her two companions were reportedly attacked by masked guards at a disputed compound in Tandang Sora, Quezon City at around 8pm on Tue, Jul 19.
The lawyer and her companions were about to respond to her clients’ request for assistance.
“The Tandang Sora compound has housed the religious sect’s founding family since 1970s, but an internal dispute that went public in July last year led to a legal tussle over ownership. Citing security reasons, the INC then asked a Quezon City court to bar visitors to the property,” recalled Yuji Vincent Gonzales on Inquirer.net.
For the record, Angeles’ clients are Angel Manalo and Lottie Manalo-Hemedez. The lawyer said that food and water deliveries for the property’s occupants were blocked by INC-posted guards.
In a text message sent to Philippine Daily Inquirer on Wed, Jul 20, Angeles related: “On the ground we were hit repeatedly. My companions were handcuffed as they were being hit so they could do little to defend themselves. All this happened in front of police officers of QCPD station 3.”
Angeles added, “We are most disappointed with the PNP (Philippine National Police), in particular station 3 QCPD. The incident happened right in front of them. But they did nothing.”
Angeles and her companions were later brought to the hospital for treatment.
Inquirer.net tried to get a statement from QCPD public information office chief Titoy Cuden for comment, but he reportedly said he “would still look into the matter.”
Lawyer Ahmedy Paglinawan, Angeles’ law partner, said the attack happened when Angeles approached the property’s gate “to ask for a copy of the court order which the attackers were purportedly attempting to serve.”
For his part, INC spokesperson Bro. Edwil Zabala told Inquirer.net that the court order was “a favorable decision from Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 96 over a replevin case or an action for restoration of ownership of INC cars inside the compound.”
“We received a favorable order granting our replevin case for INC cars still inside. As far as I know, the RTC handed the order to the sheriff and we cooperated with him,” Zabala said in a text message.
He added, “As for the other matter, I’m sure that Attorney Angeles knows the legal remedies available to someone claiming to be involved in such an incident.”
