DENIECE CORNEJO, CEDRIC LEE, ET AL GET LIFE TERM OVER ILLEGAL DETENTION OF VHONG NAVARRO

MODEL Deniece Cornejo, businessman Cedric Lee and two others on Thursday were sentenced to life imprisonment for serious illegal detention with ransom filed by actor-host Vhong Navarro.

In a 94-page decision, the Taguig Regional Trial Court Branch 153 found Cornejo, Lee, Simeon Raz and Ferdinand Guerrero guilty beyond reasonable doubt of serious illegal detention for ransom under Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code.

The court sentenced the four to suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua or up to 40 years in jail.

Aside from the prison term, the court also ordered the accused to pay Navarro P300,000 in civil indemnity, moral damages and exemplary damages.

The case stemmed from the extortion and assault of Navarro in 2014.

Cornejo and Raz, who were present during the promulgation of judgment, were promptly detained by the court.

An arrest warrant was issued against Lee and Guerrero.

Lee on Thursday night surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Navarro thanked the Lord, his family, and all the people who supported him during the times of struggle.

“Maraming, maraming salamat Lord dahil lagi kang nakaagabay sa akin. Sa rami ng pinagdaanan ko sa buhay, andyan ka. Ikaw ang naging sentro ko,” Navarro said.

“Maraming salamat sa RTC Taguig sa ibinigay ninyong justice sa akin na matagal ko na pong ipinagdarasal. Salamat po ng marami. Maraming salamat din sa aking legal team sa hindi ninyo pagbitaw at pagsama sa akin hanggang sa huli,” said the actor-host. 

“Maraming salamat din sa ABS-CBN dahil since Day 1 andyan po kayo. Laging nakasuporta sa akin. At naniniwala kayo sa akin. Salamat Tanya (Navarro’s wife) at palagi ka ring nandiyan at hindi mo ako iniwan, gayundin  sa aking Showtime family,” Navarro further said.

According to the court ruling, the actions against Navarro were part of a scheme to extort money from him.

In 2014, Navarro accused the camp of Lee of serious illegal detention, saying the group detained him in Cornejo’s Bonifacio Global City condominium unit on January 22, 2014. The actor said the group threatened and intimidate him with firearms.

Cornejo had accused Navarro of raping her but on  Feb. 8, 2023, the Supreme Court Third Division dismissed the rape and acts of lasciviousness charges against the actor-host.