Court issued arrest warrants vs. Cedric Lee, Deniese Cornejo for illegal detention

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

An Aklanon judge has issued arrest warrants for offense of serious illegal detention against Cedric Lee and four others on Holy Wednesday. 

Judge Paz Esperanza Martelino Cortes ordered the arrests of model Deniece Millinette Cornejo, businessman Cedric Cua Lee, Simeon Palma Raz, Jr., Sajed Fernandez Abuhijleh and Ferdinand Guerrero.

Cortes, who hails from Andagao, Kalibo, Aklan and the presiding judge of Branch 271 in Taguig City Regional Trial Court, handles the Criminal Case No. 153705-TG for Violation of Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code against the five accused.

The case against Cornejo, Lee and other accused was non-bailable. 

The accused were involved in the alleged mauling of comedian and TV host Ferdinand Hipolito Navarro, better known as  Vhong Navarro last January 22 inside Forbeswood Heights condominium in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. 

Earlier, a Taguig court also issued arrest warrants against Cedric Lee, Deniece Cornejo and five others for bailable offense of grave coercion in connection with the mauling of Navarro. 

Also covered by arrest warrants for grave coercion were Lee’s sister Bernice, JP Calma, Ferdinand Guerrero, Sajed Fernandez Abuhijleh and Simeon Palma Raz Jr.

Judge Bernard Bernal of Taguig Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 74 had issued the arrest warrants on April 11.

An arrest warrant can be served by any law enforcement agency, including the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation. 

Last April 4, the Department of Justice dismissed the rape complaint filed by Cornejo against Navarro.