Navarro, Cornejo set to meet again

Photos courtesy of ABS-CBN and Facebook Page of Deniece Cornejo

Manila, Philippines—TV host-comedian Vhong Navarro and model Deniece Cornejo will meet again.

This, after the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that they will consolidate the charges filed by both parties

In connection with the mauling incident that happened to Navarro on Jan. 22, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed a criminal case against Cornejo, businessman Cedric Tan, and six other men.

In an interview with Yahoo! Philippines on Feb.2, Sunday, Prosecutor General Claro Arellano said, “We will consolidate the cases to expedite the PI (preliminary investigation) and also to avoid conflicting findings.”

An office order for this purpose, according to Arellano, will be issued.

An all-female PI panel composed of Assistant State Prosecutors Olivia Torrevillas, Hazel Decena-Valdez and Marie Elvira Herrera will consolidate Navarro’s complaint and Cornejo’s counter-charge.

Last week, Navarro filed six cases against Cornejo, businessman Cedric Lee and six other alleged accomplices.  These are charges of serious illegal detention—a non-bailable offense—serious physical injuries, grave threats, grave coercion, unlawful arrest and blackmail.

After Navarro filed the respective cases, Cornejo, through her lawyer Howard Calleja also went to file a counter-charge of rape against Navarro before the Taguig City prosecutor’s office.

Cedric Lee, Deniece Cornejo, Bernice Lee, a certain Ferdinand Guerrero and Zimmer Rance, an alias Mike, and two other unidentified men will be summoned to appear before the panel and answer the charges.

According to the NBI, the evidence presented by Navarro, such as his statements and the CCTV footage from the building where the incident happened—would support the version of Navarro, making Cornejo’s rape claim “highly improbable.”

Though a trial court hasn’t issued a hold departure order yet or watchlist order to prevent Lee, Cornejo and the others from leaving the country, the DOJ had placed them under the lookout bulletin order of the Bureau of Immigration.

In a separate interview with GMA-7’s Startalk on Sunday, Feb. 2, Cornejo defended Lee and his companions, saying that all they did was to defend her against Navarro. She also appealed to Navarro to be man enough to face the consequences of his actions.