Vhong Navarro allowed to post P1 million bail for rape

The Taguig court has permitted TV host Vhong Navarro to post bail at P1 million for his provisional liberty as he faces rape charges filed by model Deniece Cornejo. 

"Viewed in light of all the foregoing, and taking the evidence presented in the bail hearings as a whole, this court is not convinced at this point, that there exists a presumption great leading to the inference of the accused's guilt," the court document read.

"It must be emphasized, however, that a grant of bail does not prevent the Court, as trier of facts, from making a final assessment of the evidence after full trial on the merits," it also stated.

The It’s Showtime host is currently detained at the Taguig City Jail Male Dormitory over the acts of lasciviousness warrant from the 2014 rape case that resurfaced this year. He was previously detained in the Manila NBI Detention Center after he surrendered on Sept. 19. 

Cornejo filed a rape case against Navarro in 2014, which allegedly took place on Jan. 22 in her condominium unit. Later on, she claimed that the TV personality also raped her a few days prior. 

The Taguig court found Cornejo, businessman Cedric Lee, and Jed Fernandez guilty of grave coercion in 2018 after Navarro countered that he was assaulted and detained on the same night to admit the accusations.

In June 2020, however, the Court of Appeals reversed the previous 2018 and 2020 resolutions dismissing Cornejo's claims and directed the case back to the City Prosecutor of Taguig City.