Daily Serving of Legal Matters

A photo of Vhong Navarro, Cedric Lee and Deniece Cornejo taken from google.com. Another twist in the real legal drama of Vhong Navarro-Cedric Lee-Deniece Cornejo teleserye has unfurled on Monday, September 15, 2014.  Accused Cedric Lee, Deniece Cornejo and Simeon Raz, Jr. were allowed to post bail in the amount of Five Hundred Thousand (P500,000.00) for each of them in the decision handed by Taguig Regional Trial Court on the petition to fix bail filed by the accused in a Serious Illegal Detention case filed by Actor-It's Showtime Host Vhong Navarro. Said decision brought shock to Navarro's camp and as well as to most netizens following the case.  In contrast, it was a heaven-sent decision on the part of the accused. Although, the criminal case faced by the accused is a serious illegal detention and this case is a non-bailable offense considering that it is a capital offense. A capital offense is one on which, under the law existing at the time of its commis...

Photo of Cedric Lee taken from ABS-CBNnews.com Cedric Lee strikes again.  When the case of Grave Coercion was heard for mediation, actor-host Vhong Navarro was not present.  It was Vhong Navarro who filed against Cedric Lee, Bernice Lee, Deniece Cornejo, Simeon "Zimmer" Raz, Jr., Ferdinand Guerrero, Jed Fernandez and Jose Calma for Grave Coercion in the controversial and highly sensationalized mauling of the actor-host last January 22, 2014. Vhong Navarro was absent during the mediation hearing of the grave coercion case. Cedric Lee when asked for his comment after the hearing, he said: "Hindi dumating 'yung rapist, e. May nire-rape pa sa ibang lugar." He also said no when asked if he is open to have a settlement with Navarro. With the utterance of Cedric Lee against Vhong Navarro, what would be its legal consequence, if any? The act of Cedric Lee in calling Vhong Navarro allegedly of a rapist may constitute the crime of slander. Sla...

Atty. Alma Mallonga and Florencia Cornejo.  Photo taken from google. The legal drama of Vhong Navarro-Cedric Lee and Deniece Cornejo has ramified anew.  This time is between the grandmother of the Deniece Cornejo and Vhong Navarro's lawyer Atty. Alma Mallonga. Allegedly, Florencia Cornejo claimed that she was pushed by Mallonga after she saw her wearing a shirt that says, "Justice for Deniece, Jail the Rapist" (ABS-CBNnews.com). So what constitutes the crime of grave coercion? The Revised Penal Code defines the crime of grave coercion as: Article 286.  Grave Coercions. - The penalty of arresto mayor and a fine not exceeding 500 pesos shall be imposed upon any person, who without authority of law, shall, by means of violence, prevent another from doing something not prohibited by law, or compel him to do something against his will, whether it be right or wrong. If the coercion be committed for the purpose of compelling another to perform any relig...

With the recent development of Vhong Navarro-Cedric Lee-Deniece Cornejo's legal battle, Vhong Navarro appears to be triumphant this early.  It was already broadcasted that the rape case filed by Deniece Cornejo against Vhong Navarro was junked by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for utter lack of probable cause. Meaning to say, the DOJ was convinced that Vhong Navarro is innocent and there was no probability based on the evidences submitted by both camps that he did commit the crime charged. On the other hand, Cedric Lee and Deniece Cornejo (among the persons charged with cases filed by Vhong Navarro) were successfully indicted with Grave Coercion, Serious Physical Injuries and Serious Illegal Detention.  Among the three charges, Serious Illegal Detention is not bailable. But with the prompt action of Lee and Cornejo's camp, the issuance of the warrants of their arrest in Serious Illegal Detention Case was forestalled due to the timely motion for reconsideration....

We always have heard and read about physical injuries, have we not? This term sometimes occupied the whole page of a broadsheet when it involves a popular person, just like the case of Vhong Navarro.  Though, this term seems ubiquitous today, but I believe not all of us are duly informed of its details. Thus, this post is aimed at discussing the classification of physical injuries as defined by the Revised Penal Code.  Hopefully, after reading this, you may have a full grasp about the legal facets of physical injuries. Physical injury is defined as impairment of physical condition or pain (http://definitions.uslegal.com/i/injury/).  This injury is committed by other person intentionally.  Basically, if the injuries are committed in the absence of any intent of killing the person injured, it is just physical injuries.  Otherwise, if the infliction of injuries is coupled with the intent of killing him, the crime would be either homicide or murder as...

Allegedly, in the real-life drama and legal battle of Vhong Navarro-Cedric Lee-Deniece Cornejo-Roxanne Acosta Cabanero, the camp of former beauty contestant Roxanne Acosta Cabanero denied that their charge of rape to Vhong Navarro states the specific time and date of its commission. The said denial allegedly has irked Vhong Navarro's, thus it considers the filing of Perjury Case, among others, against Roxanne Acosta Navarro. How does this crime of perjury be committed?  What would be the impossable penalty of this crime? According to the Revised Penal Code, the crime of perjury may be committed by: "Any person who, knowingly making untruthful statements, shall testify under oath, or make an affidavit, upon any material matter before a competent person authorized to administer an oath in cases in which the law so requires." shall testify under oath: If a person shall testify under oath, or, for instance, telling false statements in open court.  He/...

It seems that the defense of Vhong Navarro to his recent allegedly victim of rape Roxanne Acosta Cabanero is an alibi.  This is of course based only on the recent information gathered from the news recently. Accordingly, the victim was raped allegedly in the nearby vicinity of Astoria Plaza Hotel in Pasig City on the of April 24, 2010.  As reported, Vhong Navarro guested the concert of Vice Ganda which took place in Island Cove Resort in Cavite on the same night.  Please see http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/entertainment/02/23/14/vice-ganda-hotel-contradict-roxannes-rape-story for more information.  Thus, if this would be utilized by Navarro's camp, it is certainly a defense of alibi.

The Vhong Navarro-Cedric Lee-Deniece Cornejo case has ramified and has become more complicated with the recent twist of their dramatic story.  Though, the camp of Lee and Cornejo has denied with the hands to help the alleged victim of rape committed by Vhong Navarro in the open but the we really do not know the whole truth about it.

With what has been happening to It's Showtime host and comedian actor Vhong Navarro, the term CITIZEN'S ARREST becomes a household term.  It is what has the camp of Cedric Lee, Deniece Cornejo and others done to Vhong Navarro.  The latter was arrested via citizen arrest because the former allegedly rape Deniece Cornejo.