Vhong Navarro, with a trembling voice and tear-filled eyes, conveyed his appreciation after the conviction of businessman Cedric Lee and model Deniece Cornejo by the Taguig regional trial court in the case of severe unlawful detention brought against them by the TV presenter.
In 2014, Navarro initiated legal proceedings against Lee, Cornejo, Guerrero, and Palma Raz. The TV personality was unlawfully held in custody after an accusation of rape made by Cornejo.
Lee submitted a request to dismiss the case, but the Taguig court rejected his motion. The entrepreneur appealed his case to the Court of Appeals, which upheld the decision made by the lower court.
Lee, Cornejo, Guerrero, and Palma Raz were each given a 40-year jail term. Additionally, they were collectively and individually instructed to pay a total of P300,000 for civil compensation and moral and exemplary damages.
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Deniece Cornejo: Guilty Beyond Reasonable Doubt
At the May 2 promulgation, Taguig Regional Trial Court Branch 153 ruled Ferdinand Guerrero, Simeon Palma Raz Jr., Lee, and Cornejo guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and sentenced them to reclusion perpetua.
Imprisonment for reclusion perpetua ranges from 20 years and one day to 40 years.
Article 27 of the revised Penal Code on reclusion perpetua states that “anyone sentenced to any of the perpetual penalties shall be pardoned after undergoing the penalty for thirty years, unless such person by reason of his conduct or some other serious cause shall be considered by the Chief Executive as unworthy of pardon.”
“Wherefore, premises considered, this court hereby finds accused Deniece Millinette Cornejo, Cedric Lee, Ferdinand Guerrero, and Simeon Palma Raz, guilty beyond reasonable doubt for the crime of serious illegal detention for ransom, defined and punished under Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended; and hereby sentences them to suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua,” Taguig RTC Branch 153 Presiding Judge Mariam Bien wrote in the decision.
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Vhong’s Back at “Showtime!”
On Thursday, May 2, Navarro sang along to the “It’s Showtime” theme song with a lot of energy. Moreover, it was his job to greet the live audience with the phrase “What’s up, Madlang Pipol!” After the lively acts and welcomes, Navarro took the stage to show how much he appreciated everything.
Navarro told his law team and ABS-CBN management how grateful he was that they had always believed in him and helped him. He also told his fans how grateful he was that they had always believed in him, even when people said bad things about him.
“To the staff of ‘Showtime,’ the ‘Showtime’ family,’ thank you very much for your patience,” he said, looking at the other speakers.
