Taguig court finds Cedric Lee, Deniece Cornejo, others guilty of illegal detention

Businessman Cedric Lee (center) and Simeon Raz (in blue) are taken out of their detention cell at the National Bureau of Investigation compound in Manila on Tuesday, May 6, to attend a hearing at the Taguig RTC. The two, along with several others, face serious illegal detention and grave coercion charges in connection with the January 22 mauling of TV host-actor Vhong Navarro.

A Taguig court has found businessman Cedric Lee and three others guilty of serious illegal detention for ransom in the case filed against them by actor Vhong Navarro.

The Taguig Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 153 found Lee, Deniece Cornejo, Ferdinand Guerrero, and Simeon Raz guilty beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced them to reclusion perpetua.

The court immediately cancelled the bail bond of the accused.

Raz and Cornejo, who personally attended the promulgation, were committed immediately by the court.

Meanwhile, the court issued a warrant of arrest against Lee and Guerrero.

The RTC also ordered the accused to pay Navarro P100,000 in civil indemnity, P100,000 as moral damages, and P100,000 as exemplary damages.

“All monetary awards shall earn legal interest rate of 6% per annum from the finality of the judgment until fully paid,” the court said.

Though Navarro did not attend the hearing, his legal counsel, Atty. Alma Mallonga said Navarro welcomed the decision.

In 2014, Lee and his group were accused of holding Navarro captive and inflicting serious physical injuries against him. –VAL, GMA Integrated News

This article Taguig court finds Cedric Lee, Deniece Cornejo, others guilty of illegal detention was originally published in GMA News Online.