Hon. Judge Fricia C Gomez-Guillen cleared the charges against Deniece Milinette Cornejo via video conference due to MECQ restrictions last August 17, 2020, in Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 15.
Guillen indicated that the inconsistencies in the perjury case were not enough to prove Cornejo was guilty.
In an exclusive interview, Cornejo said during the proceedings she felt mixed emotions.
“For me, sobrang mixed emotion kasi ngayon pandemic pa siya nangyari, but the good thing was I’m holding the Bible while I’m in front of them during the videoconference,” said Cornejo.
Upon hearing the decision, she said that felt relieved and vindicated.
“Almost 7 years, I feel relieved and vindicated,” said Cornejo.
When asked about her message to Vhong Navarro who filed the perjury case, here is her answer: “God never sleeps.”
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Vhong Navarro-Deniece Cornejo Scandal.
On January 22, 2014, Ferdinand Hipolito Navarro, popularly known as the Its Showtime host Vhong Navarro, was invited by Cornejo to a condominium in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. After that, Navarro was detained and attacked by businessman Cedrick Lee and other individuals. These individuals were Sajed ‘Jed’ Fernandez Abuhijleh, Zimmer Raz, Ferdinand Guerrero, and Jose Paolo Gregorio Calma. According to Navarro, they forced him to admit to raping Cornejo.
Cornejo accused Navarro of rape and the case went to court. The courts dismissed the rape case in 2017 due to “serious credibility issues.”
Navarro then filed illegal detention and grave coercion charges against the individuals involved in the incident in January 2014. He also filed perjury and libel charges against Cornejo, Lee, Raz, and Calma.
In 2018, Navarro won the case of grave coercion. Judge Bernard Pineda Bernal of Taguig Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 74 penned the decision. Cornejo and Fernandez both posted bail for the charges.
Life After the Scandal.
Cornejo is currently a columnist in OPINYON.NET under the column titled, Right Ladies. She also passed the online exams of Harvard University for Children’s Rights in Theory and Practice-International Human Rights Law in 2019.
In the interview, she has this message for her readers. “As you all know I have gone through a lot in life and it motivates me to use my voice to reach out and uplift everyone of us. No matter what you’re going through, you’re capable to break out from the negative cycle!”
When asked about her plans for the future, she said that all she wants is a peaceful life.
“Marami pa pagdadaanan, Marami pa Paglalaban. As of now, all I want is to have a peaceful life and serve our country,” said Cornejo.
