Cedric, Deniece plead not guilty

MANILA, Philippines - Businessman Cedric Lee and model Deniece Cornejo pleaded not guilty in their arraignment yesterday for the grave coercion case filed against them by actor Ferdinand “Vhong” Navarro before the Taguig Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 74.

Cedric’s sister, Bernice, and Zimmer Raz also pleaded not guilty during their arraignment yesterday.

Cornejo and Bernice were arraigned yesterday morning while Cedric and Raz were brought by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to the court at about 1:30 p.m.

The NBI agents told the court that Cedric and Raz were not brought to the court yesterday morning as they received late the notice of arraignment sent by the court.

Navarro charged the Lee siblings, Cornejo, Raz, Jose Paulo “JP” Gregorio Calma, Ferdinand Guerrero and Jed Fernandez with grave coercion in connection with the attack on him in Cornejo’s condominium unit at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig on Jan. 22.

Calma left the country last April 10.

Navarro was present during the arraignment of Bernice and Cornejo as ordered by the court, his lawyer Alma Mallonga said.

Mallonga added that the court also ordered that the case be taken under mediation on June 2 but her client is bent on pursuing the case against Bernice and Cornejo, neither of whom issued any statements to reporters after their arraignment. 

Security was tight at the grounds of the Taguig Hall of Justice, with steel barricades and yellow police lines at the building’s entrance. Reporters were barred from covering the arraignment. 

Cornejo is now under the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group at Camp Crame after surrendering to PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima. Bernice and Fernandez earlier posted bail at P12,000 each.

Meanwhile, the court ordered Fernandez’s arrest after he failed to present himself yesterday for his arraignment, according to Mallonga.

She said Fernandez instead filed a motion for the suspension of proceedings. The court denied the motion for lack of basis, then ordered Fernandez’s arrest and cancelled his posted bail.

Last Tuesday, the Taguig City Regional Trial Court Branch 271 entered a not guilty plea for Cornejo for the serious illegal detention charge also filed by Navarro.