The camp of detained TV host and comedian Ferdinand “Vhong” Navarro is hoping that a court will grant him bail for his provisional liberty amid an order for his transfer to the Taguig City Jail.
The Taguig Regional Trial Court Branch 69 is handling the rape case filed by model Deniece Cornejo against Navarro.
Navarro is accused of allegedly raping Cornejo in her condominium unit in Taguig on Jan. 17, 2014.
In a decision, the court ordered the transfer of Navarro from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Detention Center in Manila to the Taguig City Jail Male Dormitory located in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig, which houses 993 persons deprived of liberty (PDL).
The order was received by the NBI on Nov. 14. He will undergo a medical examination, including an RT-PCR test for Covid-19, based on health protocol requirements before he is transferred. As of this writing, Navarro is still at the NBI Detention Center.
The same court had earlier issued a non-bailable warrant of arrest for rape against Navarro on Sept. 19.
He surrendered to the NBI on the same day for a separate bailable warrant of arrest for a case of acts of lasciviousness, also filed by Cornejo. In the afternoon, the non-bailable warrant of arrest was released.
Navarro filed a petition for bail with the Taguig RTC Branch 69, which held five hearings that started on Oct. 13 and ended on Nov. 10.
During the bail hearings, the prosecution, tasked to show the evidence of guilt is strong against Navarro, presented three witnesses including Cornejo and Cedric Lee. Two other witnesses did not show up.
“The important thing is that the bail petition is already submitted for resolution and that the decision on bail should come out soon,” said Alma Mallonga, the lead counsel for Navarro.
According to Mariglen Abraham-Garduque, Navarro’s collaborating counsel, “The court issued the order even prior to the petition for bail.”
“It is just that the defense filed a motion for reconsideration due to security reasons. This is the reason why the court, during the hearing on motion for reconsideration, called for a representative of Taguig City Jail and asked clarificatory questions on how equipped is their facility to ensure the safety and protection of detainees,” she said.
On Sept. 20, Navarro filed an urgent motion for the NBI to retain custody over him with the Taguig RTC Branch 69, citing threats to his life if he is transferred to the Taguig City Jail.
One evidence he cited was a text message that was received by his wife, which stated, "Pasabi diyan sa Asawa mong rapist Mr. Suabi, nag aantay kami Dito sa Taguig, pakibilisan (Tell your husband, rapist Mr. Suabi that we are waiting here in Taguig, please hurry up).”
Navarro urged the court to treat the message “as a real and actual threat which endangers his life and security,” according to the court’s decision dated Sept. 29.
“In addition, private complainant Deniece Millinette Cornejo, as well as Cedric Cua Lee, Zimmer Raz, and Ferdinand Guerrero, were all previously detained in Taguig City Jail before bail was granted for the crime of Serious Illegal Detention and it is likely that they have formed connections and allegiances with gangs inside the Taguig City Jail,” the court decision read.
However, the Taguig RTC Branch 69 denied for lack of merit Navarro’s request to remain in custody at the NBI.
“While accused would want this Court to believe his legitimate fears for his life and security, he, however, fell short of substantiating the same,” the court ruled.
If the Taguig RTC Branch 69 grants Navarro bail, he will be released from custody and will be free while the hearings on the rape case are being conducted.