Inutusan ng Court of Appeals (CA) ang City Prosecutor ng Taguig City na sampahan ng kasong rape at acts of lasciviousness ang TV host at aktor na si Ferdinand “Vhong” Navarro kaugnay ng reklamong isinampa ng model-stylist na si Deniece Milinette Cornejo.
Sa 26 na pahinang resolusyon ng may petsang July 21, 2022, binaliktad ng 14th Division ng CA ang naunang resolusyon ng Department of Justice (DOJ) noong April 30, 2018, at July 14, 2020.
Ang desisyon ng CA ay pinonente ni Associate Justice Florencio Mamauag Jr., na inayunan nina Associate Justices Victoria Isabel Paredes at Mary Charlene Hernandez-Azura.
Hinihintay pa ng GMA News Online ang reaksiyon mula sa kampo ni Navarro.
Noong April 30, 2018, ibinasura ng DOJ ang petition for review na inihain ni Cornejo. Bunsod ito ng September 2017 resolution na lumalabas na walang "probable cause" o sapat na basehan para isampa ang kaso laban kay Navarro sa korte.
Inakusahan ni Cornejo si Navarro ng pang-aabuso noong January 17 at 22, 2014. Noong January 22, 2014, nabugbog si Navarro ng grupo ng negosyanteng si Cedric Lee, na sumaklolo umano kay Cornejo.
Nagtamo ng mga sugat sa naturang insidente si Navarro at dinala sa ospital.
Gayunman, sinabi ng CA na mali ang ginawa ng DOJ sa pagbasura sa petisyon ni Cornejo.
"It was erroneous for the DOJ to deny Cornejo’s petition for review on the ground that her statements in the complaint-affidavits are inconsistent and incredible. In this regard, it bears to stress that the determination of probable cause does not depend on the validity or merits of a party’s accusation or defense or on the admissibility or veracity of testimonies presented," anang CA.
Idinagdag ng CA na dapat ipaubaya sa pagdinig ng korte ang tungkol sa usapin ng kredibilidad.
"Ultimately, it falls upon the trial court to determine who between Navarro and Cornejo speaks the truth. Cornejo decries attempted rape on the night of January 22, 2014 while Navarro denies any wrongdoing on his part," sabi pa ng mga mahistrado.
"We reiterate once more that the preliminary investigation is not the proper venue to rule on the respondent’s guilt or innocence," dagdag nito.
Pinuna rin ng CA ang pag-amin ni Navarro ng umano'y consensual oral sex nila ni Cornejo noong January 17, 2014.
"Given the peculiar nature of rape, it almost always presents a ‘he said, she said’ scenario which leaves the trial court the task to decide whom between the private complainant or the accused should it believe. On one hand, justice must be rendered to a rape victim bearing in mind that she is physically, psychologically, emotionally and socially scarred," giit ng CA sa desisyon.--FRJ, GMA News
