Philippine Local News

Why Deniece Cornejo slashed her wrist in jail

July 14, 2014 Philippine Local News / Showbiz News

Deniece Cornejo didn’t attempt suicide, says PNP

But her lawyer says she slashed her wrist to protest the junking of her second rape case vs. Vhong Navarro.

On Sunday morning, July 13, Deniece Cornejo was said to have slashed her wrist in her detention cell at the Anti-Transnational Crime Unit (ATCU) building of the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

That is what the controversial model’s lawyer is claiming. However, the PNP are clarifying that she was not trying to kill herself.

Sign of protest?

Cornejo’s legal counsel Atty. Salvador Panelo explained his client’s shocking move in a statement read on ABS-CBN’s entertainment talk show, The Buzz, on the afternoon of the same day.

Calleja pointed out that Cornejo had, in fact, already withdrawn the second rape charge she had filed against Navarro.

The statement read, “Deniece Cornejo slashed her wrists this morning to call attention to injustice she is suffering from and as a symbolic protest against the July 11, 2014 anomalous dismissal of the rape case she filed against Vhong Navarro, which rape complaint she already formally withdrew on July 4, 2014, so she could focus on her defense on the serious illegal detention and perjury case filed against her.”

Panelo explained that Cornejo already withdrew the case on July 4, days before it was dismissed.

As such, the statement added, “[The] dismissal of the rape complaint by the City prosecutor of Taguig already previously withdrawn by the complainant Deniece is grave misconduct and smacks of evident bad faith intended to further impair her credibility. She is presently in a state of depression and going through sleepless nights.”

The lawyer said his client is still in shock after her complaint was junked.

“She is still in shock why she, who is a victim of sexual abuse, is languishing in jail. She decries the fact that powerful personalities in the movie industry have used their influence on the powers that be and the media to cast her as the heel instead of being the wronged victim,” Panelo said.

PNP’s explanation: It’s not a suicide attempt

However, some details of Calleja’s claims are being contradicted by the authorities.

The PNP-CIDG clarified that Cornejo did not slash her wist in a suicide attempt.

According to CIDG Chief Benjamin Magalong, at around 3 a.m., Cornejo just wounded her wrist to inscribe the letters “W” and “R” using her eyebrow trimmer.

In any case, Cornejo’s uncle, Rod Cornejo, explained to The Buzz in a text message that the initials stand for “Women’s Rights.”

The origin of the second rape complaint

In the second rape complaint filed by Cornejo against Navarro, she alleged that she was raped by the latter last January 17, 2014.

Cornejo’s first rape compplaint, which was already dismissed by the Department of Justice (DOJ), referred to the alleged sexual assault that happened on January 22, 2014.

For the record, Cornejo made no mention of the alleged sexual assault on January 17 in her complaint-affidavit for the first rape case she filed against Navarro.

Explaining why Cornejo only detailed the alleged rape on January 17 in her counter-affidavit,  Cornejo’s legal counsel, Atty. Howard Calleja, had said, “We have to give leeway and understanding to the rape victim. It is hard enough to relive one’s experience again and again and again. And it’s harder to relive two or three or more than one experience.”

However, the resolution from the Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office, dated July 1, 2014, reads, in part: “[Cornejo’s] subsequent actions belie of a rape which happened on January 17, 2014. She appeared to be normal in going about her daily activities. No changes in behavior or attitude were observed.”

The resolution further pointed out: “If indeed the complainant was raped on January 17 or 18, 2014; why did she allow herself to be raped again on January 22, 2014? There is no sign of struggle, no physical injuries. Complainant’s narration of the actual act of rape is incredible.”

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