Navarro rape trial starts February
The rape as claimed by Cornejo was repeatedly denied by Navarro but after the Department of Justice junked the complaint it was revived by the Court of Appeals in a decision last July
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The rape as claimed by Cornejo was repeatedly denied by Navarro but after the Department of Justice junked the complaint it was revived by the Court of Appeals in a decision last July
The trial of actor-comedian Ferdinand "Vhong" Navarro will start in February next year and will last for 21 months or until 2024.
This was stated in the order of release from detention for Navarro dated 6 December of Presiding Judge Loralie Cruz Datahan that also set the dates of the rape trial filed by model Deniece Cornejo.
Based on the order of Judge Cruz-Datahan, the presentation of the prosecution's evidence will be held starting on 16 February next year, the first trial date.
The order stated 12 other dates from 9 March 2023 up to 11 April 2024 in which the prosecution will present its evidence or one hearing per month.
For the camp of Navarro, they will present their evidence starting on 16 May 2024 and on five other dates with the last one on 14 November 2024.
Navarro is accused of raping model Deniece Cornejo on 17 January 2014 inside her condominium unit in Taguig.
He was released from the Taguig City Jail Male Dormitory on 6 December after posting a P1 million bail set by the Taguig Regional Trial Court Branch 69.
The court granted Navarro's petition for bail, ruling that "viewed in light of all the foregoing, and taking the evidence presented in the bail hearings as a whole, this Court is not convinced at this point, that there exists a presumption great leading to the inference of the accused's Navarro's guilt."
The rape as claimed by Cornejo was repeatedly denied by Navarro but after the Department of Justice junked the complaint it was revived by the Court of Appeals in a decision last July.
In reviving the rape case, the appellate court ordered the Taguig Prosecutor's Office to file cases of rape and acts of lasciviousness against Navarro.
Last 11 October, Navarro was arraigned but refused to enter a plea, prompting the court to enter a "not guilty" plea.
A motion for review for certiorari was filed by the camp of Navarro before the Supreme Court on the CA's decision and resolution dated 20 September, which denied the TV host's motion for reconsideration or appeal about the CA order in July.
On 19 September Navarro surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation in Quezon City, after the Taguig City Metropolitan Trial Court ordered his arrest on acts of lasciviousness filed by Cornejo.
Navarro's arrest was ordered by MeTC Judge Angela Francesca M. Din of Branch 116 after finding that the actor is probably guilty of violation of Article 336 of the Revised Penalty Code on acts of lasciviousness.
The following day, Navarro was transferred to the NBI in Manila after Datahan issued an arrest order for the non-bailable rape charges.
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