Cedric Lee, a Philippines businessman, and student Deniece Milinette Cornejo have denied guilt in the Vhong Navarro rape case, pitting the stories of both sides against each other.
Navarro, a well-known host on ABS-CBN and an actor, was accused of attempting to rape Cornejo, a 22-year-old student and model.
Lee spoke out about the case on Monday, saying that he and friends were supposed to pick up Cornejo to go out on January 22 when they heard her screaming inside. They went in and found her fighting off Navarro’s unwelcome advances.
Lee grabbed Navarro off the bed, he told ABS-CBN. He and the others were forced to struggle with Navarro when he refused to go peacefully to the police station, according to Lee.
Navarro pleaded with them not to take him to the station because it would jeopardize his career, Lee claims.
Navarro, on the other hand, says that Lee is the “powerful and influential man” who was behind an attempt to blackmail him.
He said that he went into Cornejo’s condo with take-out from a nearby restaurant. When he went inside, however, a group of men held him at gunpoint and forced him to say that he had attempted to rape Cornejo. They made threats against his wife and son, he told Buzz ng Bayan from his hospital bed, trying to extort money from him.
Cornejo, meanwhile, has also denied any guilt in the case.
“Everyone wants nothing but honesty yet caught lying most of the time. truth hurts and no matter how painful it is, face it with dignity,” she said via Facebook.
She said earlier, quoting a Bible verse, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
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