DOJ dismisses rape, attempted rape charges vs. actor Vhong Navarro

The Department of Justice has dismissed the rape and attempted rape complaints filed by model-stylist Deniece Cornejo against actor-television host Vhong Navarro.

In a review resolution dated September 6, the DOJ found no probable cause to press charges against Navarro in court.

"To be sure, the voluminous records of this case was scrutinized vis-à-vis the original resolution finding probable cause. However, such thorough scrutiny has failed to make us engender a well-founded belief that the rape and attempted rape described by the complainant actually happened," stated the resolution signed by OIC Prosecutor General Severino Gaña Jr.

Cornejo had alleged Navarro sexually abused her on January 17, 2014 and five days later on January 22,  the date the actor was mauled by the group of businessman Cedric Lee, resulting in the actor's hospitalization for multiple injuries.

Lee claimed that they mauled Navarro after they caught him trying to rape Cornejo.

Navarro denied the allegation, and, through the DOJ, filed before a Taguig City court serious illegal detention and grave coercion charges against Cornejo, Lee, and five others in connection with the mauling incident.

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Among the reasons the DOJ cited in siding with Navarro was the "major inconsistencies" in the three complaint affidavits and the lack of new evidence.

“[Cornejo’s] story about the incident on January 17, 2014 changed from
no rape (or anything amorous for that matter) happening (first complaint-affdavit), to rape being committed by force (second complaint affidavit), and finally to rape being committed rendering her dizzy and weak due to a date rape drug-laced wine (third complaint-affidavit)," the resolution stated.

“On the other hand, complainant’s story about the incident on January
22, 2014 started from rape being committed by force (first complaint-affidavit), to absolutely having no mention about any incident (second complaint-affidavit), until the events morphed into a mere attempt to rape her (second complaint-affidavit),” it added.

The DOJ also said Cornejo’s first complaint-affidavit had less details compared to the second complaint when common human experience "dictates that a narration given close to the incident usually contains more details than one that is given later.”

“This is because in the former, the events or details are still fresh in the narrator’s mind, while the passage of time will make a person forget details,” the department said.

Also, the results of the three investigations the DOJ conducted on the case showed the credibility of Cornejo's story has been passed upon and ruled to be questionable.

"As a matter of fact, three criminal information had been filed and are pending before the courts against [Cornejo] involving exactly the same incidents. These facts ought not to be ignored, but on the contrary, should be seriously taken into account in crossing the issue of [Cornejo’s] and her story’s plausibility,” the resolution read.

Navarro's camp welcomed the junking of the complaints.

"We are very happy that the DOJ has finally dismissed the rape complaint filed by Deniece against Vhong, the third in a series of failed attempts, to do him harm through a palpably and demonstrably false  accusation," Navarro's lawyer, Alma Mallonga, said in a text message.

Mallonga, however, conceded that the "fight continues" with respect to the cases of serious illegal detention and grave coercion against Cornejo and her co-accused pending before a Taguig court.

"Mr. Navarro is determined to see these cases through to the very end, knowing full well that he has  the  unstinting support of the DOJ in his quest for justice," Mallonga said. —LBG, GMA News