Caught on cam: 2 TV newshens in tug of war over Deniece Cornejo

By: 10 years ago

Two TV reporters argued about who has the right to an exclusive interview with Deniece Cornejo.

MANILA, Philippines–Two female reporters from rival TV networks engaged in an amusing tug of war as to who had the right to an exclusive interview with model Deniece Cornejo, minutes after she was released on bail on charges of assault and serious illegal detention.

The two TV reporters from TV 5 and GMA-7 cornered Cornejo as she was about to leave the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group on a van on Sept. 18. Cornejo had been detained at the CIDG in Camp Crame in Quezon City while on trial for assault and serious illegal detention filed against her by TV host Vhong Navarro.

She was supposed to go straight to the Commission on Human Rights to seek help about her next step after the dismissal of two rape charges she had filed against Navarro.

“Papaano yun, nag-commit ako sa kaniya kaninang umaga,” Cornejo told the TV 5 reporter, referring to the GMA-7 reporter to whom she had promised to give an exclusive interview.

But the TV5 female reporter, who was outside Cornejo’s vehicle, argued that she had arranged with Cornejo’s parents for an exclusive interview.

“Papa’no yun? Nag-commit din sa akin yung parents mo?” the TV 5 reporter said.

“Hindi, ako na lang, tapos kasama sila mommy,” Cornejo answered.

But the TV5 reporter insisted: “Hindi puwede. Ikaw na lang kunan ko… Attorney, papaano yun, nag-commit sa’kin yung parents? Hindi pupuwedeng ganon. Kahapon pa nag-commit yung parents pati lola niya,” she said.

But the GMA-7 reporter, who was inside Cornejo’s car, butted in: “Sorry sa ’kin siya nag-commit. I talked to her.”

“Tito, paano ’to, ’di ba may usapan tayo kahapon?” the TV5 reporter pleaded to the lawyer accompanying Cornejo.

Sensing she was losing in the tug-of-war game, the TV 5 reporter tried to outsmart the other reporter, resorting to ambush interview before Cornejo could leave. She swiftly asked the model how she was doing, to which the model replied: “Napakasaya po. Nagpapasalamat po ako sa mga nagdasal sa’kin at sana po ay magpakatatag lang po. Salamat po. I am very thankful sa kanila [my parents]. The GMA-7 reporter had no recourse but to also join the ambush interview.