‘Sea of guns’ found at INC compound

MANILA, Philippines - Within the high walls of the controversial Iglesia Ni Cristo compound, a “sea of firearms” stored in a “secret room” greeted police officers who raided a house formerly occupied by one of the expelled siblings of the INC’s executive minister, officials said yesterday.

Operatives of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) seized 56 high-powered firearms, 18 pistols, magazines, and 17, 985 bullets in one of the residences at the compound in a clearing operation that started at around 3 p.m. Wednesday and lasted until before dawn yesterday.

Explosives, grenade rifles, assorted rifle parts and accessories, among others, were also found in the secret room, located on the ground floor behind a concealed door, said QCPD director Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar.

This came exactly a week after the arrest of 32 people, including the expelled siblings of INC executive minister Eduardo Manalo, Lolita and Felix Nathaniel, during the implementation of a search warrant on their home.

Director Oscar Albayalde, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), admitted that there was no search warrant during Wednesday’s raid on the “abandoned” house reportedly formerly occupied by Lolita.

Albayalde said they were given “permission” by church officials to conduct the clearing operation at the house, which was attended by barangay officials and INC representatives but without the camp of the expelled Manalo.

Still, the recovered firearms are being considered by authorities as “voluntarily surrendered” by the camp of the INC as the ownership and illegal possession of the items have not been established.

The camps of the expelled siblings and the INC have not been cleared by investigators because the seized firearms are still subject to verification and investigation, according to Albayalde.

The “cleared” residence is adjacent to Felix Nathaniel’s house, which was subjected to a search warrant following a reported shooting last week.

The INC is claiming ownership over the whole property, which is being contested by the expelled siblings.

Also on Wednesday, the city prosecutor’s office recommended the filing of non-bailable charges against Felix Nathaniel for violating Republic Act 10591, after guns were found in the residence he allegedly occupied.

Charges of direct assault with frustrated murder, with bail recommended, was also filed against Jonathan Ledesma after he allegedly used an M-16 rifle to shoot two policemen serving the search warrant.