No arrests yet in Vhong case

MANILA, Philippines - The Taguig City regional trial court (RTC) will hear a motion for judicial determination of probable cause filed by the lawyer of Cedric Lee and Deniece Cornejo before any warrants of arrest are issued against them.

According to a court staff member who declined to be identified, the court has scheduled the hearing on April 15 at 1:30 p.m.

Alma Mallonga, lawyer of actor Vhong Navarro, confirmed the schedule of the hearing.

Lawyer Howard Calleja yesterday filed the motion for determination of probable cause in the serious illegal detention case against Lee and Cornejo.

Also facing the same complaint are Bernice Lee, Zimmer Raz, Jose Paulo Gregorio Calma, Ferdinand Guerrero and Jed Fernandez.

The complaint of illegal detention was in relation to the attack on Navarro at Cornejo’s condominium unit in Taguig last January.

Calleja filed the motion a day after the Department of Justice dismissed the rape complaint filed by Cornejo against Navarro.

Cornejo, Lee and the other six accused in the case are also facing charges of grave coercion, which was filed by Navarro before the Taguig Metropolitan Trial Court.

Holy Week detention ‘unfair’

Calleja said his motion includes the suspension of all proceedings, including the issuance of a warrant of arrest against his two clients.

He said it would be unfair to have the warrant of arrest issued against Lee and Cornejo during the Holy Week.

Calleja said Taguig City RTC Judge Paz Esperanza Cortes has 10 days to review the information by the DOJ in relation to their case.

Mallonga, on the other hand, said the filing of Calleja’s motion is not a legal obstacle for the court to issue arrest warrants against Cornejo and Lee.

Mallonga said the court may issue the arrest warrants against the eight accused even if the motion for the judicial determination of probable cause is being heard.

Mallonga added they are also not rushing to ask the court to issue hold departure orders against the accused.

“They are facing a non-bailable case. If they want to file a request to post bail, they need to surrender first. They are not going anywhere,” she said.