Comedian and television host Ferdinand “Vhong” Navarro has been transferred to Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Taguig City Jail in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City pending the resolution of the rape and acts of lasciviousness charges filed against him by model-actress Deniece Cornejo, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said.
Navarro was transferred at around 4 p.m. Monday afternoon from the NBI detention center in Manila where he stayed for two months following his surrender.
The NBI said Navarro completed all the required health protocols prior to his transfer. Navarro’s transfer to the BJMP, Taguig City Jail was ordered by the Taguig court handling the non-bailable rape case.
Cornejo’s camp sought his transfer to the Taguig City jail in adherence to proper legal procedures.
Aside from the rape case, he is also facing a separate case for acts of lasciviousness also filed by Cornejo.
The acts of lasciviousness, a bailable offense, is being handled by the Taguig Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 116.
The trial court has wrapped up its proceedings on Navarro’s petition for bail and is expected to come up with a resolution very soon.
Navarro’s camp is insisting that the actor should be allowed to post bail, as the evidence of guilt against him is weak.
The rape and acts of lasciviousness charges against Navarro were ordered to be revived by the Court of Appeals in its July 21, 2022 decision.
In the said ruling, the CA reversed and set aside the 2018 and 2020 resolutions of the DOJ dismissing the complaint filed by Cornejo in 2014 and directed the justice department to file the cases anew.
As an offshoot of the CA’s ruling, the DOJ filed the criminal charges against Navarro before the trial courts in Taguig, which ordered his arrest.