Court junks Cornejo's petition for gag order, TPO vs. Navarro

MANILA, Philippines - A Taguig City court dismissed the petition for the issuance of a temporary protection order (TPO) filed by model Deniece Cornejo against actor Vhong Navarro for lack of merit.

Navarro's lawyer, Alma Mallonga, said the TPO petition was dismissed by Taguig Regional Trial Court Branch 69 Judge Loriefel Pahimna after a 30-minute hearing on Friday afternoon.

Mallonga said the TPO petition which sought to order Navarro from approaching Cornejo was denied by the court for lack of basis under Republic Act 9262 (Violence Against Women and Children Law).

Mallonga said the petition was dismissed as Navarro and Cornejo are not partners with romantic and sexual relations.

“There was no showing of any relationship between Vhong and Deniece under the law. Cases covered by the law involve women and their husbands, ex husbands, or those dating or with sexual relations,” Mallonga said.

“There was no factual basis in the petition,” added Mallonga.

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Mallonga said Navarro’s camp is happy with the junking of the TPO petition.

“This is just harassment and was meant to delay the proceedings at the Department of Justice,” she said.

Mallonga added that Cornejo also asked the court to issue a gag order on media regarding the alleged rape case she had filed against Navarro.

Mallonga said that with the junking of the TPO petition, the court also dismissed the petition to issue a gag order.

“Vhong has never mentioned rape. There has to be a basis for the protection order. This is just a harassment petition,” she added.

Meanwhile, Howard Calleja, lawyer of Cornejo said he would be filing a motion to ask the court to reconsider its decision.

Source: philstar.com - Nation