The wife of detained TV host and comedian Ferdinand “Vhong” Navarro, who is facing cases of rape and acts of lasciviousness, said she is fearing for his security if he is transferred to the Taguig City jail.
Navarro is currently detained at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Manila after Presiding Judge Loralie Cruz Datahan of the Taguig Regional Trial Court Branch 69 issued a warrant of arrest without bail against him on Sept. 19 in a case that charged him for allegedly raping model Deniece Cornejo on Jan. 17, 2014.
The Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office filed the rape case against Navarro on Aug. 31 before the Taguig Regional Trial Court based on an order by the Court of Appeals, which issued a decision that was promulgated last July 21 in favor of Cornejo’s petition for review of her cases against the TV host.
Before this, a warrant of arrest for acts of lasciviousness was issued by the Taguig Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 116 against Navarro based on a complaint by Cornejo. The court set his bail at P36,000.
Tanya Bautista-Navarro, the TV host’s wife, said Navarro’s possible transfer to the Taguig City jail “is very scary.”
“Kasi threat yun sa buhay niya. Basta very scary, very scary for Vhong (Because it will be a threat to his life. It just is very scary, very scary for Vhong),” she said in a press conference on Sept. 21 based on a video uploaded by ABS-CBN News.
She said Vhong’s lawyers filed a motion with the court to prevent his transfer to the Taguig jail.
“I think the lawyers also filed a motion para huwag umabot doon. Pero ako right now, ang worry ko yung security for Vhong (I think the lawyers also filed a motion so it will not reach that . But for me right now, my worry is Vhong’s security),” she said.
She is confident that Vhong will win the rape case.
“Nandito na kami. Lalaban na lang kami. May case na e. So lalaban kami at alam ko mapapanalo namin ito (We are already here. We will just fight. There is already a case. So we will fight and I know we can win this),” she said.
She added, “But for the meantime, at least yung security niya. Natatakot ako for him na ilipat siya sa Taguig (But for the meantime, at least his security. I fear for him if he will be transferred to Taguig).”
Navarro's lawyer, Alma Mallonga, had earlier said they will file a petition for bail to release the TV host from detention.
In a short message sent to Manila Bulletin on Sept. 21, Cornejo said if she will be an instrument and serve as an example for women who have been abused, hurt, and raped, she will fight for it.
“Kung ako instrumento upang maging ehemplo sa mga kababaihan na maging matatag sa naabuso, nasasaktan at nasasamantalahan. Paglalaban ko at paninindigan. (If I will be the instrument and become an example for women to become strong, those who are abused, hurting, and raped. I will fight for it and take responsibility),” said Cornejo.