Deniece Cornejo. PNP-PIO Photo
MANILA, Philippines–The grandmother of Deniece Cornejo has asked the prosecutor handling the grave coercion case she filed against the lawyer of television host and actor Vhong Navarro to inhibit from the case.
In her three-page motion, a copy of which she gave to reporters in front of the Taguig Regional Trial Court, Florencia Cornejo said Taguig Prosecutor Vincent Villena should inhibit himself from conducting the preliminary investigation in connection with the grave coercion case she had filed against lawyer Alma Mallonga in May.
She also asked that the case be reraffled to another public prosecutor.
In asking for Villena’s inhibition, the elder Cornejo cited several instances, which she said “made her chest hurt (sumasakit ang dibdib).”
For one, she said, “every time we have a preliminary investigation (he) would urge (sic) me to settle with respondent (Mallonga).”
She said Villena would ask her, “Why are you here (sic), are you going to withdraw the case?”
“Deniece (Cornejo) is still young, she should settle and leave Cedric Lee and her co-accused; anyway matatanda na ang mga ’yan (they’re old),” she also quoted him as saying.
She added that in one instance, Villena said he could dismiss the case.
She also said that Villena “appears (to) personally know and may even be a friend of Hazel Valdez,” who she said was “expected to file her affidavit as a witness of Mallonga.”
This was after he reportedly said “Kawawa naman si (Valdez) at anim ang anak niyan (Valdez is pitiful and she has six kids).”
“Foregoing considered, I am requesting that the honorable prosecutor … inhibit himself from conducting the preliminary investigation and reassign or reraffle this case to another public prosecutor,” Florencia Cornejo said.