Taguig courts issue gag order on Vhong case

MANILA, Philippines - The Taguig City regional and metropolitan trial courts issued yesterday gag orders on the grave coercion and serious illegal detention cases filed by comedian Vhong Navarro against businessman Cedric Lee, model Deniece Cornejo and five others, according to court guards and lawyers.

Both prosecution and defense lawyers declined to give details regarding yesterday’s hearing on the motion of the defense panel for judicial determination of probable cause on the serious illegal detention charge filed before the Taguig RTC Branch 171.

“We were cautioned not to talk to the media,” prosecution lawyer Dino Tamayo told reporters who waited at the entrance of the Hall of Justice in Taguig after court officials barred media men from the courtroom.

Before the 1:30 p.m. hearing at the RTC, a court official ordered security guards at the entrance of the Hall of Justice to prevent reporters from entering the building.

Defense lawyer Howard Calleja also declined to give any statement on the pending cases filed against Lee and Cornejo.

Aside from the duo, the other accused in the grave coercion and serious illegal detention charges were Lee’s sister Bernice, Simeon “Zimmer” Raz, Jose Paolo Calma, Ferdinand Guerrero and Jed Fernandez.

Fernandez and Calma with their lawyers were spotted in the court premises, but the clerk of court or any personnel of the Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 74 refused to confirm if the two accused had posted bail.

Judge Bernard Bernal of the Taguig MTC Branch 74 has issued an arrest warrant against Cedric Lee, Deniece Cornejo and the five others accused by Navarro of grave coercion.