Vhong skips mediation for grave coercion case

MANILA, Philippines - Actor Ferdinand “Vhong” Navarro was absent during the first day of mediation yesterday for the grave coercion case he filed against model Deniece Cornejo, businessman Cedric Lee and six others.

Speaking to reporters after the end of the mediation, Navarro’s lawyer, Alma Mallonga, said she has legal concerns on Navarro’s appearance during the mediation mandated by the Taguig City Metropolitan Court Branch 74.

She said she and other lawyers representing Navarro will still have to take into consideration the mediator’s request that the actor be present during the next mediation session on July 7.

Mallonga earlier said Navarro is bent on pursuing the grave coercion case.

She said yesterday that they are still looking at the legal implications of the mediation of the grave coercion case on the serious illegal detention charges filed by the actor against the same accused before the Taguig City Regional Trial Court Branch 271.

“We said it would be difficult to talk of a settlement, but we have a process to undergo. Let’s see what happens… Hopefully, we will get justice,” she said.

She said they are keeping their options open regarding the mediation and possible out-of-court settlement of the grave coercion case.

Aside from Cornejo and Lee, also facing the charges of grave coercion and serious illegal detention are Cedric’s sister Bernice Lee, Zimmer Raz, Jose Paulo “JP” Calma, Ferdinand Guerrero and Jed Fernandez. Calma left the country last April 10.

Cornejo and Bernice earlier pleaded not guilty to the grave coercion charge while Fernandez was ordered arrested by the court for failing to show up for his arraignment. The court meanwhile entered not guilty pleas for the grave coercion charge for Lee and Raz during their arraignment.

Navarro filed charges against them in connection with the beating he received in Cornejo’s condominium unit in Taguig on Jan. 22.

Cornejo is under the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) at Camp Crame after surrendering to PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima. Bernice and Fernandez had earlier posted bail at P12,000 each.  Lee and Raz are under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation.

CIDG: Prayer meeting, not birthday bash

Meanwhile, Cornejo reportedly held a birthday party for about two hours with around 20 of her family and friends in the CIDG’s Anti-Transnational Crime Unit office, which is under Senior Superintendent John Goygoyon, Sunday.

A photo of Cornejo, wearing a brown dress and holding a metallic balloon, was posted on GMA’s website. The photo showed a streamer with the message, “Deniece, we love you.” A white and pink balloon were pasted on the wall beside the streamer.

Goygoyon and CIDG Women and Children Protection Division head Superintendent Emma Trinidad initially denied any knowledge of the birthday party.

However, Trinidad later told The STAR there was no celebration but it was “just a prayer fellowship meeting and this is allowed in any jail facilities for detainees. Her friends brought some food.”

She added that “it can’t be a party because there was no beer and there was no singing and dancing.”

Trinidad said “prior clearance was made before the said activity and the (PNP) Command Group knew it. I was not present during the event but the fellowship was… short as what have been agreed.”

Reports had it that one of Cornejo’s guests was fellow model Roxanne Cabanero. Both Cabanero and Cornejo filed rape charges against Navarro, but Cornejo’s case against Navarro was dismissed.