10 Philippine Showbiz Today
September 8 - 21, 2018
Jan. 22-Feb.7, 2015
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Philippine Fugitives Able to Secure Refugee Status
Using Fabricated
FB
Posts
by Don Orozco
Lowell Menorca II and Rovic
Canono, both expelled former
members of the Iglesia Ni Cristo
(INC), faced numerous court
cases in the Philippines before
abruptly vanishing from the radar
in 2016.
They were simultaneously
facing charges of rape, domestic
violence against spouse and
children, adultery and other heavy
criminal offenses.
Instead
of
facing
the
country’s judicial system and
proving their innocence, however,
these two discredited persons left
the country secretly and under
suspicious circumstances to
evade prosecution.
Menorca also left in his wake
a habeas corpus case he filed with
the Court of Appeals which gained
him media attention, but was seen
as hollow and baseless by Filipino
legal experts. Eventually, Menorca
abandoned the case, left the CA
hanging and the next thing the
public knew, he boarded a plane
to Vietnam with his family almost
literally in the dark of night.
Both Menorca and Canono
eventually appeared in Canada,
where they applied for and were
eventually granted asylum.
Based
on
obtained
documents relating to their
asylum application, Menorca
and Canono painted a picture
of persecution and harassment,
which supposedly prompted them
to leave the Philippines.
A careful reading and analysis
of the asylum decision and
related documents shows, on the
other hand, that Menorca’s and
Canono’s statements made to
the Canadian government were
all self-serving.
Their narrations before the
Canadian asylum board did not
enjoy the benefit of independent
verification and confirmation
from objective and unbiased
outside sources. No one from the
Philippine government nor from
the INC was allowed to dispute
their fantastic claims of political
and religious persecution and
supposed threats to their safety
and security.
Little Italy (PG) **
Food fight!
Businesses come and go. Families stay together. And never the
Twain shall meet. See the sparks fly when two young lovers age like not
so fine wine in the romantic lark Little Italy. Fresh food for thought is
in the offing by way of EOne Entertainment now holding court at The
International Village Cinemas and select Cineplex venues around B.C.
Leave the smoke behind for the comfort of a cool refreshing
theatre as we follow the whirlwind friendship of two people over
time. When they were kids Leo and Nikki seemed inseparable and
yes, they liked each other as did their parents. Now an all grown
up Emma Roberts and Hayden Christensen (Star Wars: Episode
One) have gone their separate ways - as have their parents.
Once upon a time, way back when, the Campo and Angioli
families could do wrong as owners of Little Italy’s busiest Italian
restaurant. So when Nikki comes home for a celebration all bets are
off as to whether she will see Leo again - and what may come of it.
With an authentic warm-hearted Italian theme to it you see the passion
running through all the players’ veins. Rivals in business and in life its high
spirited fun to see what may or may not develop as two former friends
may rekindle those historic moments or final sever those long-time ties.
Bolstered by perfect ethnic caricatures from Andrea Martin and
Danny Aiello romance addicts and those into family culture will
appreciate the nuances that rise the the fore in Little Italy though at
times they aren’t that subtle. ●
For example, in their
desperation and utter selfishness
to be granted asylum, Menorca
and Canono narrated deep-seated
corruption in many agencies of
the Philippine government.
While they were in the
Philippines, Menorca and Canono
actively sought legal relief from
Philippine courts and demanded
assistance from law enforcement
authorities because according
to them their lives were in
danger, but these two persons
discredited and embarrassed
these very institutions in their
asylum application when it was
convenient for them and suited
their needs when they arrived in
Canada.
Not coincidentally, after
obtaining asylum, Menorca and
Canono chose to leave their
wives and children hanging and
unattended in other countries,
showing a consistent pattern of
neglect and abuse that gave rise
to the cases filed against them in
the Philippines.
Menorca and Canono are in
no hurry to have their families join
them in Canada. Perhaps these
two do not want their spouses to
know what they are doing now in
their new safe haven?
What exactly are Menorca
and Canono doing in Canada?
They live the high life and rely on
the generosity of shady funders
and patrons. Equally despicable,
Menorca and Canono still peddle
themselves as INC, without any
legal nor moral authority to do
so.
They continue to denigrate
the INC leadership despite barely
finding an audience for their
activities. Such is their hypocrisy.
They claim fleeing the Philippines
to escape the INC, but they
live and speak INC within their
comfortable confines in Canada.
Menorca and Canono should
be reported to the Canadian
government. They need to be
exposed. They are abusing
the kindness and generosity of
Canada, and they are sullying the
good name of the INC with the
Canadian people. ●
Don Orozco can be reached
at [email protected].
He is a contributing writer for
Philippine News and Fil-Am
Star newspaper circulated in
the USA as well as a business
reporter and online marketing
head of pinoyparinkami.com.
He is a licensed Notary Public
in the State of California and a
deputized Sherriff of the Santa
Clara County.