Cedric, Deniece ask CA to stop DOJ probe

MANILA, Philippines - Businessman Cedric Lee and model Deniece Cornejo have asked the Court of Appeals (CA) to stop the ongoing preliminary investigation (PI) of the Department of Justice (DOJ) on a string of criminal charges against them for the attack on television host Vhong Navarro last January.

In a petition filed earlier this week, Lee and Cornejo asked the CA to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) or writ of preliminary injunction (WPI) enjoining the DOJ from proceeding with the PI on charges of serious illegal detention, serious physical injury, grave threats, grave coercion, illegal arrest and blackmail.

The petitioners alleged that the DOJ investigating panel committed grave abuse of discretion when it immediately submitted for resolution their counter-charge of rape against Navarro after failing to attend the hearing last Feb. 14.

The CA’s fourth division acted on the petition and ordered the DOJ to submit an answer. In a two-page resolution released yesterday, the court gave the respondents, led by Prosecutor General Claro Arellano, to submit a comment on the petition in 10 days from receipt of notice.

The petitioners were also directed to file their reply in five days after receipt of the comment.

“In the meantime, action on the prayer for the issuance of a TRO/WPI is held in abeyance pending receipt of the aforementioned pleadings,” read the order penned by Associate Justice Leoncia Dimagiba.

Other respondents in the case – National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Virgilio Mendez and DOJ panel members Assistant State Prosecutors Olivia Tordesillas, Hazel Decena-Valdez and Marie Elena Herrera – were given 10 days to comment.

Lee and Cornejo, together with Lee’s sister Bernice, Zimmer Rance, Jed Fernandez and Jaypee Calma earlier faced the three-woman DOJ panel and all denied the charges filed by the NBI against them.

New respondent denies raps

Another respondent, Ferdinand Guerrero, faced the DOJ yesterday and also submitted a counter-affidavit denying involvement in the beating of Navarro.

Guerrero said he did not even enter the unit in Forbeswood Heights Condominium Tower 2, where the incident happened, because he got lost in the lobby.

After Guerrero submitted his answer, the DOJ panel submitted the case for resolution.

It was the sixth hearing conducted by the investigating panel on the charges filed by Navarro, who appeared at the DOJ last Feb. 6 to affirm his allegations against the respondents.

In her counter-affidavit, Cornejo claimed that she was raped twice by Navarro. Lee and his group, on the other hand, said they only came to her rescue.

NBI probers earlier found Navarro’s statement consistent with surveillance footage submitted by security office of the Forbeswood Heights condominium.

A video showed Navarro – wearing a cap – leaving the building with his hands tied behind his back, along with eight people, including Lee and Cornejo, at around 11 p.m. last Jan. 22.

Navarro claimed that the respondents beat him and tried to extort up to P2 million from him while he was in Cornejo’s unit.