MANILA, Philippines - Television host and comedian Vhong Navarro appeared at the Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday to attest to his criminal charges against businessman Cedric Lee, model Deniece Cornejo and six others who allegedly beat him up last Jan. 22.
Escorted by police officers, Navarro went straight to the DOJ in Manila after being discharged from the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City, where he was confined for two weeks due to severe injuries.
He faced the DOJ panel of prosecutors tasked to conduct preliminary investigation and personally subscribed to his two supplemental affidavits in support of his earlier complaint filed with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Navarro made formal his allegation that he was set up by Cornejo for an extortion attempt allegedly led by Lee. He recalled how he was blindfolded, tied up and attacked by at least six men in Cornejo’s condominium unit in Taguig City.
Submitted as additional evidence was the exchange of text messages between Navarro and Lee, which showed that the latter continued to threaten the actor even after the incident.
Navarro earlier filed charges of serious illegal detention, serious physical injury, grave threats, grave coercion, illegal arrest and blackmail against the respondents. Serious illegal detention is a non-bailable offense.
In the same hearing, Navarro and his lawyer, Alma Mallonga, were furnished a copy of Cornejo’s counter-charge of rape against him.
In an interview after the hearing, Navarro thanked his supporters: “To all those who prayed for me, you are my source of strength in what I am facing now.â€â€™
Faceoff inevitable
The preliminary investigation hearings were set on Feb. 14 and Feb. 21. The PI panel is composed of Assistant State Prosecutors Olivia Torrevillas, Hazel Decena-Valdez and Marie Elvira Herrera.
Mallonga asked the panel to allow her client to subscribe to all his affidavits ahead of the Feb. 14 hearing. The panel granted the request, but stressed that Navarro has to attend the Feb. 21 hearing.
NBI probers earlier found Navarro’s statement consistent with the closed-circuit television footage submitted by security office of the Forbeswood Heights Condominium Tower 2, where the incident took place.
The footage showed Navarro – in a cap – leaving the building with his hands tied behind his back, along with eight people, including Lee and Cornejo, at around 11 p.m. last Jan. 22.
Navarro claimed that the respondents beat him and tried to extort up to P2 million from him while he was in Cornejo’s unit.
Obstruction of justice
Also yesterday, the Taguig City police filed an obstruction of justice complaint against the security agency handling the security of the condominium.
Megaforce Security Agency chief security Roderick Garbin, head for investigation Maximo Maregildo and security officers Jeffrey Veniegas and Romeo Nevado Jr. were charged with violating Presidential Decree 1829 before the DOJ.
In an interview, Taguig police chief Senior Superintendent Felix Arthur Asis said they are convinced that Megaforce concealed the attack on Navarro when Taguig police investigators were dispatched to Forbeswood Heights on Jan. 25.
The security officers, according to Asis, denied that there was such an incident.