Vhong snubs mediation hearing anew

MANILA, Philippines - Actor and television host Ferdinand “Vhong“ Navarro snubbed on Monday the second mediation hearing set by the Taguig court for the grave coercion case he filed against model Deniece Cornejo, businessman Cedric Lee and several others.

It would be recalled that Navarro also did not attend the first mediation hearing for the case set by the Taguig City Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC) Branch 74 last June 2.

Navarro’s lawyer, Alma Mallonga said Navarro did not attend the second mediation hearing as her client had already publicly expressed that no settlement was possible.

“Vhong had already formally rejected settlement as an option in the serious illegal detention case. The mediation is supposed to deal only with the civil aspect of the grave coercion case. The mediation has been reset one last time with Vhong being directed to personally appear on August 4,” Mallonga told the Star.

Mallonga said although Vhong did not appear in the last mediation hearing, he was represented by his lawyers who have expressed concerns on the tenability of further proceedings.

“You will note that after the last mediation, Cedric (Lee) denigrated Vhong and publicly expressed that no settlement was possible,” Mallonga said.

The Taguig MTC Branch 74 said Navarro must still attend the hearing to signify his refusal to enter into a settlement with the respondents.

Navarro filed the grave coercion case against Cornejo, businessman Lee and six others before the Taguig City MTC Branch 74 in connection with the serious illegal detention case he had also filed against them.

Also facing the charge of grave coercion are Cedric’s sister Bernice Lee, Zimmer Raz, Jose Paulo “JP” Gregorio Calma, Ferdinand Guerrero and Jed Fernandez. Calma left the country last April 10.

Cornejo and Bernice earlier pleaded not guilty to the grave coercion charge while Fernandez was ordered arrested by the court for failing to show up for his arraignment. The court meanwhile entered not guilty pleas for the grave coercion charge for Cedric and Raz during their arraignment.

After the June 2 mediation, Mallonga said she had legal concerns on Navarro’s appearance during the mediation. The mediation, she said, was court-mandated and is part of the legal process.

Mallonga said Navarro is bent on pursuing the grave coercion case against Cornejo, Cedric and the other accused. Mallonga said Navarro’s lawyers are also looking at the legal implications of the mediation of the grave coercion case on the serious illegal detention case filed by the actor against the same accused before the Taguig City Regional Trial Court Branch 271.

Cornejo, Cedric and the other accused were slapped with grave coercion charges in connection with Navarro's mauling on Jan. 22 inside Cornejo’s condominium unit at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

Cornejo is still under the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group at Camp Crame after surrendering to Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima. Bernice and Fernandez meanwhile had earlier posted bail at P12,000 each. Cedric and Raz are under the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation.