Ferdinand “Vhong” Navarro, the embattled actor and television personality, has been taken to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) detention center in Manila after a Taguig court ordered his arrest for rape.
Loralie Datahan, presiding judge of Taguig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 69, issued an arrest warrant for Navarro on Monday. The magistrate stated in her judgment that the rape charge is not bailable.
Deniece Cornejo, a model, filed a lawsuit against Navarro for lasciviousness and rape in January 2014.
“He is at the NBI Manila detention center. He was transferred there this morning,” said NBI Information Division chief Nick Suarez.
The 45-year-old actor-tv host got a medical checkup as well as COVID-19 testing. His attorney, Alma Mallonga, stated that they will file pleadings with the Court of Appeals and the Taguig RTC.
“We are mystified. He is entitled to bail at the very least,” said Atty. Mallonga.
Judge Angela Francesca Din of Taguig Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 116 previously determined probable cause on the accusation for acts of lasciviousness and set bail at PHP36,000.
Navarro turned himself in to the NBI for the bailable case, only to be faced with another arrest warrant for rape.
After the Taguig City prosecutor’s office and the Department of Justice dismissed Cornejo’s charges, the Court of Appeals ordered the filing of the rape and lasciviousness cases.
