- Cedric Lee, Deniece Cornejo and Jed Fernandez were found guilty of grave coercion for mauling Vhong Navarro.
- Judge Bernard Pineda Bernal of Taguig City Metropolitan Trial Court released a 50-page resolution on July 27, Friday.
- Cedric and his group are said to have placed Vhong under citizen’s arrest after the latter allegedly attempted rape on Deniece.
Cedric Lee, Deniece Cornejo and Jed Fernandez were found guilty of the grave coercion case filed by host-actor Vhong Navarro. The complaint dates back to the night of January 22, 2014 when Navarro was allegedly mauled and tied up by Lee and company in Cornejo’s condominium unit in Taguig City.
Judge’s 50-page resolution
Judge Bernard Pineda Bernal of Taguig City Metropolitan Trial Court released a 50-page resolution on July 27, Friday. Cedric’s older sister, Bernice Lee, was acquitted even if she was with the group the night of the incident. Because of the guilty verdict, Lee. Cornejo, and Fernandez stand to face six months to three years in prison.
Part of the resolution reads as follows:
“Wherefore, premises considered, judgment is hereby rendered finding accused DENIECE MILLINETTE CORNEJO, CEDRIC CUA LEE, AND SAJED FERNANDEZ ABUHIJLEH a.k.a. JED FERNANDEZ GUILTY beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of Grave Coercion and, applying the Indeterminate Sentence Law, sentences them to suffer the indeterminate penalty of (6) months arresto mayor as minimum, to (3) years and (6) six months of prision correccional medium as maximum.”
Grave coercion
In an exclusive interview with PEP.ph, Vhong’s legal counsel, Atty. Alma Mallonga, explained that the grave coercion case was filed after Cedric’s group allegedly forced the host-actor to sign a police blotter which states that Vhong allegedly attempted rape on Deniece.
According to Vhong’s legal counsel, the investigation revealed that the actor was the victim of physical injuries and threats from Cedric, Deniece and Jed’s group the night of the incident.
Vhong’s vindication?
According to Atty. Mallonga, Vhong is “very happy” when he learned about the court’s guilty verdict on Cedric and his group. The verdict can still be brought to the Court of Appeals. Meanwhile, the hearing for the separate serious illegal detention case which Vhong filed against Cedric, Deniece, Jed and Berniece will proceed.
Last April 30, the Department of Justice (DOJ) dismissed the third rape complaint that Deniece filed against Vhong due to lack of evidence.
