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DOJ wants judge off Vhong Navarro case for allowing bail for Cedric, Deniece, Zimmer
The government will seek the inhibition of a Taguig judge handling the serious illegal detention case filed by television host and actor Vhong Navarro over his mauling inside a condominium last January 22.
In an interview in Manila on Tuesday, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the prosecution will contest the ruling issued by Judge Paz Esperanza-Cortes of the Regional Trial Court Branch 271 allowing suspects Cedric Lee, Deniece Cornejo, and Zimmer Raz to post bail.
"Frustrated kami na mayroong ganyang desisyon ang korte... As we speak, fina-file na rin nila iyong kanilang urgent motion for inhibition of the judge. So nagulat kami sa desisyon na yan, ang alam ko po malakas at solid ang evidence diyan against the accused," said De Lima.
The three posted bail of P500,000 each on Tuesday, a day after Cortes granted their motion. Lee and Raz arrived at the Taguig RTC Baranch 271 on Tuesday afternoon and are currently waiting for their release order.
Surprised by decision
De Lima said the judge's decision to grant bail took the prosecution team by surprise.
"Hindi namin gawain iyan na pipilitin ang isang kaso. Kapag fina-file ng National Prosecution Service ang kaso ibig sabihin nun naniniwala o kumbinsido ang nag-evaluate na prosecutors na meron talagang probable cause. Sa tingin ko mayroong probable cause for serious illegal detention kaya mga nagulat kami kahapon," De Lima said.
De Lima said that the three-woman panel of the prosecution said in its motion for inhibition that it has already "lost faith and confidence in the ability of the judge to objectively resolve that matter."
De Lima added that the prosecutors suspected that the judge's ruling was "predetermined and pre-disposed."
She said the public prosecutors also asked the Taguig judge to prevent the release of the three suspects even if they pay the P500,000 bail each, due to the pending motion for inhibition.
Not leaving the country
But De Lima assured that Lee, Cornejo, and Raz would not be able to get out of the country even if they are released.
"And even if may bail, understood naman iyan, under the Rules of Court... an accused cannot just leave the jurisdiction of the Philippines kung walang permiso ang korte. Kung aalis sila na walang permiso ang korte that is even a ground for the revocation of their bail," De Lima said.
De Lima also cited the standing lookout bulletin order issued against the accused. "Insofar as we are concerned, since merong LBO, hindi rin sila basta-basta pwede mapapaalis," she said.
"Hihingan namin sa kanila kung meron silang court order allowing them to leave bago payagan ng Bureau of Immigration sinuman sa kanila ang gustong umalis," she added. — Bianca Rose Dabu/JST, GMA News
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