Deniece open to settle case if Vhong says sorry

MANILA, Philippines — The camp of detained commercial model Deneice Cornejo is willing to have the actor Vhong Navarro's grave coercion case against her settled.

Cornejo's camp, however, will demand a public apology from Navarro, who was beaten up in January in the model's Taguig City condominium unit, before they agree to resolve the case outside court.

"We're open, but we want an apology from Mr. Navarro," Sal Panelo, Deniece's counsel, said in an interview Tuesday aired over ABS-CBN.

Cornejo's statement came after a closed-door judicial dispute resolution (JDR) between Navarro, Cornejo, other co-accused Cedric Lee and Zimmer Raz and Taguig Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 74 Judge Marilou Tamang.

Alma Mallonga, Navarro's lawyer, had said her client does not want to settle the case he filed following the mauling incident, from which Cornejo, Lee and Raz are also detained for the non-bailable offense of serious illegal detention.

"Vhong has been consistent from the very beginning. He is not open to settlement but he respects the process and he respects the law," Mallonga said.

Tamang prohibited the parties' lawyers to sit in the first of four judicial dispute resolution sessions on Tuesday.

Related: Vhong meets with Cedric, Deniece for dispute resolution

STAR columnist Tony Calvento said Mallonga was asked by Tamang to enter the confidential session briefly to asked her a question. She was immediately asked to step out the room afterward.

Navarro refused to answer questions from reporters following the JDR.

Cornejo, Lee and Raz are detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan. - Camille Diola with reports from Mike Frialde