Cedric Lee's camp denies bribing judge P30 M

MANILA, Philippines — The lawyer of Cedric Lee, Deniece Cornejo and Zimmer Raz dismissed rumors that they bribed a Taguig City judge P30 million to grant their bail petition in the serious illegal detention case filed by television host Vhong Navarro.

Lawyer Howard Calleja said he has not spoken with Taguig City Regional Trial Court Branch 271 presiding judge Paz Esperanza Cortes privately, saying he wins cases by merits alone.

"I am categorically saying I haven't talked to the judge, I haven't met her ... whatever conversation we have is in court, in open court with everybody seeing," Calleja said in an interview with dzMM late Wednesday. "So yung allegation na 'yan ay walang katotohanan."

Calleja said Cortes has previously made decisions against his clients that her integrity should not be doubted.

"We were able to be granted bail, not for any other reason but for the merits of the case," Calleja said.

He also alluded to Navarro's camp, which includes a panel of prosecutors from the Department of Justice, for seeking that the judge inhibits herself from the case. He also scored a statement by Alma Mallonga, Navarro's lawyer, who doubted whether the judge understood the case well.

"Buong takbo ng kaso, marami pong desisyon si judge na hindi pabor sa amin. Maraming desisyon na pabor kina Vhong Navarro. Pero narinig mo ba 'kong magreklamo? Narinig mo ba ang kampo namin na nagsabing hindi patas yung judge? Lahat kami sumunod sa lahat ng utos ng judge na 'yan, pero ano'ng ginawa nila?" he said.

"Nung mayroong isang resolusyon na hindi nila gusto, sinasabi nila bigla, hindi nabasa. Hindi naman gano'n. You have to have great reason to inhibit a judge," Calleja said.

Lee and Raz were granted temporary liberty on Tuesday after posting a bail of P500,000. Cornejo, meanwhile, is expected to be released from detention on Thursday.

Calleja said that he and his clients may have recently received a favorable decision, but the case is far from over.

"I cannot say that we won, because malayo pa ang laban," he said.

READ: Bail grant 'big leap' to Cedric Lee, Cornejo acquittal - lawyer