The latest news in the Vhong Navarro case is that Cedric Lee and Simeon Palma, two of the group that allegedly beat and tried to extort Navarro, were arrested over the weekend.
Warrants were issued for their arrest after they fled their homes.
Officials nabbed the pair in Oras, Eastern Samar and they were taken to the National Bureau of Investigation headquarters in Manila, with plans to transfer them to the Taguig Regional Trial Court on Monday, reported ABS-CBN. “The court will decide whether to detain them while the trial takes place or let them out on bail.
Pictures from dzMM show Lee smiling while he was taken into custody.
The fugitives were hiding in a coconut field in Eastern Samar. They fed off coconuts and stayed at a home near the field.
Navarro thanked Department of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima after the arrests were announced.
His attorney Alma Mallonga told the Philippine Inquirer that Navarro is “thankful and grateful” to both the Department of Justice and National Bureau of Investigation.
The lawyer said Navarro had expressed “appreciation for the vigilance and continued support of friends and supporters.”
The case stems from the January 22 situation. Lee and his group claims that Deniece Cornejo was raped by Navarro, who in turn says that he was beaten and blackmailed in a set-up. Evidence in the case has increasingly supported Navarro, and the Department of Justice dismissed Cornejo’s rape complaint on grounds of lack of evidence.
