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Philippines

Police officer testifies at Vhong Navarro's second bail hearing

Philippines

Police officer testifies at Vhong Navarro's second bail hearing

By Jonathan Hicap

A police officer testified at the second bail hearing of detained TV host and comedian Ferdinand “Vhong” Navarro, who is accused of raping model Deniece Cornejo in 2014.

Master Sgt. Rolly Laureto was presented by the camp of Cornejo as its second witness at the bail hearing held on Oct. 17 at the Taguig Regional Trial Court Branch 69.

(From left) TV host Vhong Navarro, photo showing Navarro reading the police blotter in 2014, and Deniece Cornejo (Navarro's Instagram, SPD, file)

On Jan. 22, 2014, Laureto was one of the police officers who were present at the Southern Police District headquarters when a badly beaten Navarro signed a police blotter allegedly admitting that he raped Cornejo in her condominium in Taguig.

The incident prompted the Department of Justice (DOJ) to file a case of grave coercion against Cornejo, Cedric Lee and others in 2014.

In 2018, the Taguig Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 74 found Cornejo, Lee and Jed Fernandez guilty for the crime of grave coercion.

During the trial for the grave coercion case, Laureto testified for the defense and said Navarro signed the police blotter without any interference from Cornejo and Lee who were in another area away from where the TV host was located.

Laureto returned to court on Oct. 17 as a witness for the prosecution in Navarro’s bail hearing. Lee was the first to testify last Oct. 13.

Navarro, who is currently detained at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Detention Center in Manila, is seeking bail after the Taguig RTC Branch 69 issued a non-bailable warrant of arrest against him on Sept. 19 for the rape case filed by Cornejo.

The next bail hearing is set on Oct. 25.

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