Accused in Vhong case tries to leave PH

Ferdinand Guerrero. File Photo.

MANILA – (UPDATED) One of the men accused of beating up actor Vhong Navarro last January 22 attempted to leave the Philippines early Monday.

According to a top official of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3, Ferdinand Guerrero was at the airport for a flight to Cebu with a connecting trip to Hong Kong when he was prevented from boarding the plane.

Airport officials said Guerrero booked a direct flight to Hong Kong which was scheduled to leave the country at 5:40 a.m.

When he was spotted at the Immigration counter, he was then notified about a “look out order” from the Department of Justice.

Guerrero argued with the Immigration official but later decided to cancel his trip.

According to information gathered by ABS-CBN News, Guerrero also introduced himself with a different name and not as “Ferdinand Guerrero.”

The BI personnel, however, checked his passport only to confirm that he is indeed among thosein their look out bulletin.

On Saturday, Guerrero’s co-accused, businessman Cedric Lee, also booked a Cebu Pacific flight bound for Dubai, but the booking was later on cancelled when the information leaked.

The BI said that had Lee decided to push through with his flight, they could not have prohibited him from leaving the country since an arrest warrant has not been issued by the court.

Last Thursday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) found probable cause to charge Lee, Guerrero, Deniece Cornejo, Bernice Lee, Simeon Raz, Jose Paolo Calma, and Jed Fernandez for the crimes of serious illegal detention and grave coercion.

The DOJ, in a 42-page resolution dated April 4, 2014, said it was clear that on January 22 up to the wee hours of January 23, Lee’s group deprived Navarro of his liberty, which is a primary element of the crime of serious illegal detention.

While the cases have already been filed before the Taguig City Regional Trial Court, no warrant of arrest nor hold departure order has been issued for them yet. – reports from Dexter Ganibe, DZMM, and Francis Faulve, ABS-CBN News