In a 91-page decision, RTC-Taguig Branch 153 on Thursday sentenced Cornejo, Lee and their co-accused Ferdinand Guerrero and Simeon Raz, to suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment.

The four accused were also ordered to each pay the actor P100,000 in civil indemnity; P100,000 as moral damages and P100,000 as exemplary damages.

The court also canceled the bail bond of the accused although they are expected to seek an appeal to the court ruling.

“It is too apparent that the accused planned and premeditated to restrain Vhong Navarro to extort money form him. Proof of their agreement isinferred from their conduct before, during and after the commission of the crime,” the court stated.

Court directory identifies Judge Mariam Guzon Bien as the presiding judge of Branch 153 of the Taguig-RTC.

According to the judge the accused had a “common understanding between them” in staging the crime.

Present during the promulgation of the decision were Cornejo and Raz who were immediately placed under arrest.

Warrants of arrest have been issued against Lee and Guerrero who did not show up in court.

The case was concluded ten years after the alleged crime was committed.

Lee and his group allegedly held Navarro captive inside a condominium unit. The TV host was also subjected to bodily injuries.

The RTC judge found it unusual that all accused were gathered in one place with a police officer a few hours before Navarro and Cornejo’s scheduled rendezvous.

The court declared that Navarro’s alleged rape of Cornejo was stage-managed and part of the money making scheme of the accused.

“Deniece Cornejo lured Vhong Navarro to her condo unit so that her co-accused attained their purpose of restraining Vhong Navarro and later on extort money from Vhong before dropping the blotter,” the court noted.

It added: “Also her BDO bank account was seen in the text message of Cedric to Vhong, which (was) used where to send the extorted money,” the court added.



Navarro did not attend the promulgation.