What Vhong has learned

There’s a lot of lessons to be learned (yes, by everybody) from what happened to Vhong Navarro two weeks ago, details of which have been played and replayed in both TV and print media.

Asked what he himself has learned, Vhong said, “Dapat maging faithful sa girlfriend o sa asawa.”

Last Thursday afternoon after he, accompanied by Alma Mallonga (one of his lawyers, the other being Dennis Manalo), swore to the supplemental affidavit to the charges he filed against Cedric Lee, Deniece Cornejo and company at the Department of Justice (DOJ), Vhong proceeded to a unit at the Imperial Palace Suites (IPS, on Timog-Morato Rotunda, Quezon City) arranged by IPS owner Regal Matriarch Mother Lily Monteverde and her daughter Roselle Monteverde. Besides Atty. Alma, with Vhong was his manager Chito Roño along with the bodyguards assigned to Vhong by DILG Sec. Mar Roxas.

“That’s true,” agreed Atty. Alma, “huwag maging unfaithful,” adding that, luckily, her husband (unnamed) is “mabait.”

Two rooms were prepared by Mother Lily, one for the GMA guys (Lolit Solis and this columnist for Startalk and Mariz Umali for GMA News) and the other for the ABS-CBN group (Korina Sanchez for TV Patrol and her Sunday show Rated K, with Ted Failon [her Patrol co-anchor] and Julius Babao for his show Bistado).

Also with Vhong was his girlfriend, Tanya Winona Bautista, a soap writer for ABS-CBN, who preferred to keep to the sidelines. Told after the shoot what lesson Vhong said he learned from the incident, Tanya said in jest, “Sana ginawa niya bago nangyari ‘yon.”

In addition, according to Lolit, avoid indiscriminate texting “at huwag na magdadala ng pagkain.” Asked what was inside the plastic bag (siomai or pansit?) that he was carrying when he went to Deniece’s condo unit, as caught by the CCTV, Vhong said he didn’t know. “Pinabalot ko lang sa friend kong may restaurant,” he recalled.

Minus the plaster cast on his nose and the tubes attached to his arms, Vhong looked much better even if he still has black spots under his eyes and a small swelling above his left eye.

During his first several days at the St. Luke’s Medical Center where he was confined for two weeks (he checked out Thursday before proceeding to DOJ), Vhong said that he couldn’t sleep nor eat well, and he had to be administered sleeping pills.

“Kasi maski pagod na pagod ako, hindi ako makatulog.” And when he did, he would be haunted by nightmares. “When I woke up after the surgery,” added Vhong, “I panicked, naging hysterical ako so I looked for my doctor.”

Up to now, Vhong confessed that he’s still afraid to be left alone in a room. He’s now undergoing sessions with a psychologist. The physical wounds will heal in due time but the trauma, according to Atty. Alma, “will take time… even a lifetime.”

The preliminary investigation was originally scheduled on Feb. 14 yet but Atty. Alma decided to have it earlier to save time. Unless they asked for postponement, Cedric and company are scheduled to file their counter-affidavit on Valentine’s Day. Deniece has filed rape charges against Vhong.

“We’re avoiding a face-to-face confrontation with them,” said Atty. Alma.

Saying that there’s no turning back, Vhong stressed that he’s fighting not only for his own sake but also for his family, especially his children with whom he has contact only by phone until recently.

“They are badly affected by what happened,” said Vhong, assuring them that he’s not what he’s pictured to be (“I’m not a rapist,” he insisted in media reports). “My children look up to me as a role model. My family knows what kind of person I am, kung ano at sino talaga ako.”

With caution, Lolit and I asked Vhong to clarify about the “images” that have gone viral, purportedly showing his private part (was it, as the unfounded rumors go, burned with a cigaret butt, pound flat or subjected to other indignities)?

Vhong denied everything, repeating what he has said again and again, “They pulled my pants down and took a video of me while forcing me to admit (the crime).”

In her interviews, repeated last Sunday when she appeared on Startalk, Deniece addressed Vhong as “kuya.”

Asked why Deniece was calling him “kuya” because she presumably considered him a big brother, Vhong clarified, “Ngayon lang niya ako tinatawag ng kuya.”

Although he looked good enough (even if he’s still hurting here and there), Vhong couldn’t say when he would return to work. His movie with Star Cinema has been put on hold; he has been missing from ABS-CBN’s It’s Showtime.

“I miss my Showtime co-hosts,” he admitted, while at the same time thanking them for their continued support and also his fans and the public who have been rallying behind him.

He repeated his gratefulness to Tanya who has stood by him and taken care of him at the hospital, saying, “Sobrang mahal niya na ako. Sorry, sorry talaga.”

Any other lesson that he learned from the incident?

“Huwag magtitiwala kahit kanino,” said Vhong.

By the way, here’s the letter of support for Vhong signed by Boots Anson-Roa (president, Movie Workers Foundation), Rez Cortez (president, Katipunan ng Mga Artista ng Pelikulang Pilipino at Telebisyon), Orly Ilacad (president, Philippine Motion Picture Producer’s Association of the Philippines), Rolando Duenas (VP External Affairs of National Cinema Association of the Philippines), Leonardo Monteverde (chairman, Anti Film Piracy Council), Leo Martinez (director-general, Film Academy of the Philippines), Joel Lamangan (president, Director’s Guild of the Philippines), June Rufino (president, Professional Artist Managers) and Wilson Tieng (president, Movie Producers’ Distributors Association of the Philippines):

On January 24, 2014, the entire Philippine entertainment industry was shocked to learn of the horrible incident involving TV host-actor Vhong Navarro. No one has any right to inflict torture on anyone regardless of his economic or social standing in society. Let the law prevail, let the court decide.

In view of this, the undersigned, leaders and officers representing the various sectors of the Philippine entertainment industry, unilaterally regret and denounce the brutal attack against our colleague, Mr. Navarro. We likewise express full support in his plea for justice.

We fervently urge the concerned government agencies to put an end to the thriving culture of violent and impunity and diminishing sense of humanity in our country.

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