Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Deniece Cornejo's lawyer says they didn't deny, just silent about Jan 17 rape incident

Deniece Cornejo's lawyer, Atty. Howard Calleja, said they didn't change anything when the model said in her counter affidavit that she was raped by comedian-TV host Vhong Navarro not just on January 22, 2014 but on Jan. 17 as well.

On Tuesday in Aquino & Abunda Tonight, Calleja said there's nothing contradictory with Cornejo's counter affidavit because they were previously just concentrating on the Jan. 22 rape incident.

"Linawin po natin wala naman pong contradictory, walang kaibahan, walang binago, walang dinagdag. We just were concentrating on the January 22 rape at that time. So nung nakita namin 'yung affidavit ni Vhong, meron s'yang sinabing sexual incident nung 17, at sinasabi n'ya consensual 'yun. Malinaw na hindi naman consensual 'yun," the lawyer said.

They were silent about the Jan. 17 rape incident but they didn't deny it.

"Wala ho kaming dini-deny. Ang sinasabi ko nga, malinaw naman po 'yun, even in the affidavit of Deniece. We were just silent about it. Hindi kami nag-deny, wala kaming sinabing walang nangyari or anything," he said.

Navarro's statement that he and Cornejo made out on Jan. 17, that he didn't force her to do it, prompted them to talk about it.

"Even in the RTC of Taguig where we filed a TPO (Temporary Protection Order), sinabi namin 'yun na may nangyaring mga insidenteng ganu'n," Calleja added.

The TPO, however, was dismissed by the judge.

"It wasn't granted because ang point ng judge was, the sexual relationship should be consensual. E, malinaw naman na 'yung 17 and 22 is not consensual. So ayaw ni judge ng ganun. Kasi hindi consensual. So kung hindi consensual yan, ano'ng tawag do'n? 'Di ba rape?"

Many people are asking as to why Cornejo even allowed Navarro to go back to her condo on Jan. 22 if she was already raped by the actor on Jan. 17. But Calleja said people should stop stereotyping his client.

"We are stereotyping a character or we are imposing an action that we want the victim to perform. Ang sinasabi namin, I've handled a lot of rape victims and the worst thing is to stereotype them, na gusto natin ang attitude n'ya ganito, gusto natin ang kanyang reaksiyon ay ganito, gusto natin na ito ang gawin n'ya. Pero hindi ganun 'yun, e. Let us not stereotype them, let us understand them as a victim. And whatever they do, whether ang ginawa n'ya ay sa tingin natin ay hindi tama, 'yung reaction n'ya ay hindi tama, hindi ibig sabihin hindi s'ya na-rape," he explained.

Cornejo's camp has recently asked the court for the full copy of the CCTV footage where the edited videos released by the NBI came from. Calleja said, however, that the NBI said they do not have the full video.

"Kasi kung titingnan mo, nung binigyan kami ng kopya nung CCTV, putul-putol s'ya. Hindi s'ya buo, edited s'ya, which kung nandoon kayo sa preliminary investigation, tinanong 'yung NBI, 'Mabibigyan n'yo ba sila ng buo, unedited, authenticated?' Ang sabi ng NBI, 'Hindi po, dahil ang hawak namin ay edited copies lang.' O, sino ngayon ang nag-edit? How can we even charge anybody with edited copies of the CCTV, not original, not authenticated. Hindi po galing kay Atty. Calleja 'yon, sabi po ng NBI 'yon," he said.

He also asked that his clients shouldn't be tried by publicity.

"I cannot stop what the public says or what the public decides. Ang amin lang, ito lang po ang aking plead sa public, this is a case to be tried in a court of law, not to be tried in a court of public opinion or trial by publicity. So let us try it civilly using the rules of criminal procedure in a court of law. Doon naman po. Kaya siguro everytime ako mag-interview sinasabi, 'Anong detalye nung nangyari?' Ako nirerespeto ko 'yung confidentiality, 'yung kababaihan nung rape victim, that's why I don't say the details. Let us just be content, with say, on 17 and on 22 there was an incident of rape committed by Vhong against Deniece Cornejo."

On the bashers that even he has recently acquired, he said bad words would not help at all.

"I respect their opinions, as a lawyer sabi ko it's just part of the job. Pero siguro ang appeal ko rin sa kanila it also would not help their case, nor their idol, 'yung kanilang hinahangaan, kung merong mga bad words or bad language doon."

Before the proper interview, Calleja cleared some points about Cedric Lee, the alleged mastermind on the mauling of Navarro.

David Bunevacz

"Klaruhin lang natin 'yung kay David Bunevacz na sinasabing may nangyari sa kanila, no? Pero ang katotohanan po n'un, ang may kaso po ay si David Bunevacz," Calleja said, even showing a copy of arrest warrants for Bunevacz dated 2008. He also said that those warrants were the reason why he fled the Philippines."

Vina Morales and Patricia Javier

"Walang katotohanan 'to. Kay Vina, kay Patricia, malinaw naman po 'yun na wala naman silang sinabing masama towards Cedric."

Alleged connection with some generals

"'Yung mga heneral, there is nothing wrong to have generals in your corporation. They're very respected people at kung titingnan naman natin wala naman siyang impluwensya sa mga pulis kasi ito'y mga ex-generals na, retired na. So wala naman na koneksiyon 'yon. At saka 'yung sa Cebu na sinasabing meron s'yang mga business sa Cebu or sa Iloilo, wala rin namang katotohanan 'yon, at 'yung sa Cebu malinaw na hindi na korporasyon ni Cedric ang kasama do'n but it is part of a consortium."

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