THE Court of Appeals has declared as illegal the search and seizure conducted by the police at the house of expelled Iglesia Ni Cristo member Lolita Manalo Hemedez, estranged sister of INC executive minister Eduardo Manalo, on March 4, 2017 that led to the recovery of firearms, ammunition, and gun paraphernalia.
The appellate court reversed and set aside the ruling of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court finding probable cause to indict expelled Iglesia Ni Cristo members Felix Nathaniel “Angel” Manalo II and Victor Erano Manalo-Hemedez for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition for the loose weapons recovered inside their home within the INC compound in Quezon City in March 2017.
Manalo is the younger brother of the religious sect executive minister.
In an 18-page decision promulgated last September 13, the appellate court’s Fourteenth Division granted the petition for certiorari of Manalo and Manalo-Hemedez as well as their motion to suppress evidence.
Joining them in the petition were Manalo’s nephew Victor Eraño “Jem” Jonathan Ledesma, Manalo Hemedez, Jojo Indek Moreno, Miriam Sanchez Moreno and Errol Gerolaga Sumait.
“The petitions for certiorari are partially granted. The motions to suppress evidence are granted and the items seized during the illegal search are excluded for being fruits of the poisonous tree,” the ruling penned by Associate Justice Mary Charlene Hernandez-Azura said.
Concurring with the decision were Associate Justices Victoria Isabel Paredes and Florenco Mamauag Jr.
“The orders dated March 1, 2019, June 28, 2019, December 27, 2019 and March 11, 2020 issued by the Regional Trial Court, Branch 216 of the Quezon City are reversed and set aside,” the ruling added.
A search and seizure operation was conducted by members of the Quezon City police on March 2, 2017 at the house of the petitioners inside the INC compound located at Tandang Sora, Quezon City on the strength of a search warrant issued by RTC Branch 106, Quezon City.
The said search and seizure operations yielded several firearms and ammunition which were allegedly found inside the premises of Angel’s house.
