Vice Ganda moves to clear Vhong in new rape case

MANILA, Philippines - Actor and television host Vice Ganda filed yesterday a sworn affidavit that is seen to clear his beleaguered friend and noontime show co-host Ferdinand “Vhong” Navarro of rape charges hurled by a former beauty pageant contestant.

In a four-page affidavit filed yesterday before Pasig Assistant City Prosecutor Robinson Amon Landicho, Vice Ganda, Jose Marie Viceral in real life, said that Navarro was a guest performer in his “May Nag Txt, May Show Ako” out-of-town concert series in 2010, and that on April 24, 2010, the day he was accused of raping pageant contestant Roxanne Acosta Cabanero in Pasig, he had been busy the whole day up to the early hours of April 25 in the Cavite leg of the concert at the Island Cove Resort & Leisure Park.

“I confirm that Vhong was at Island Cove in Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite, and he was in my presence on several occasions, from the afternoon of 24 April 2010 to around 1:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. of the following day (25 April 2010),” Viceral said.

Viceral explained that being a very popular celebrity, Navarro would appear in his concerts doing dance routines called “Evolution of Dance” that was much anticipated by the crowd.

The number was usually one of the last in the program.

However, he said that Navarro was still required to be at the concert venue by call time of 4 p.m.

As co-host of ABS-CBN’s “It’s Showtime,” Viceral said Navarro was also obliged to be at the concert series’ finale to join in the singing of the noontime show’s theme song.

“He was always among the last performers, because he was usually the most popular of my guests and his dance routines were among the most anticipated performances by the audience,” Viceral said.

“This meant that Vhong did not get to perform in any of the concerts until around 11 p.m. or 11:30 p.m. In the meantime, he would wait (impatiently, I understand) in his dressing room,” Viceral said.

Viceral’s filing of affidavit yesterday morning at the Pasig City prosecutor’s office caused a frenzy among the actor’s fans that included the court employees.

Director and talent manager Chito Roño, print and broadcast crime journalist Tony Calvento, and Viceral’s lawyers accompanied the comedian to the prosecutor’s office.

Viceral’s affidavit was filed after Cabanero claimed that she was raped by Navarro on the night of April 24, 2010 somewhere in Pasig City.

Cabanero had suddenly surfaced with her rape allegation shortly after Navarro got embroiled in a controversy and legal battle with businessman Cedric Lee and model Deniece Cornejo, as well several of Lee’s friends whom Navarro had accused of conspiring to beat him up and inflicting serious injuries and bruises that landed him in hospital.

Navarro also accused the group of attempting to extort money from him in Cornejo’s Bonifacio Global City condominium unit last January.

Navarro said that Lee had threatened to charge him for allegedly raping Cornejo if he will reveal the extortion attempt and physical abuse.

Viceral said that his act of speaking out and filing the affidavit was done in his desire for the truth to come out.

He said that he subscribed to his statement ahead of Navarro’s filing of his counter-affidavit because he will be leaving on Wednesday night for a series of shows in the US and thus won’t make it to the March 13 preliminary investigation.

Roño said that Viceral’s statement debunking Cabanero’s claim that Navarro was in Pasig City where she was raped and threatened would lead to the rape complaint being dismissed at the prosecutor’s office.