Cedric Lee’s cohort flies out of PH despite look-out order – De Lima

By: 11 years ago

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – One of the accused in the alleged mauling of television actor Vhong Navarro was able to leave the country despite a look-out bulletin, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said Tuesday.

De Lima said the Bureau of Immigration told her Jose Paolo Calma left the country for Singapore on April 10 and was able to get past immigration because what was registered in their look-out bulletin is a certain John Paul Calma.

Calma’s real name in his passport, meanwhile, is Jose Paolo, De Lima said.

The justice secretary said she has told the immigration bureau to investigate the matter.

Calma, co-accused businessman Cedric Lee, model Deniece Cornejo, Bernice Lee, Jed Fernandez, Simeon Raz, and Ferdinand Guerrero, are facing grave coercion and serious illegal detention charges in connection to the mauling of Navarro.

The Taguig City Regional Trial Court Branch 271 has issued arrest warrants against the suspects over serious illegal detention, a non-bailable offense. But the warrant does not include Cedric Lee’s sister Bernice and Calma.

Meanwhile, the Taguig Metropolitan Trial Court has also served the warrant against the seven suspects over the grave coercion case. Of the seven, only Cornejo, Fernandez and Bernice Lee were able to post bail.

Cedric’s sister Bernice was arrested late Monday night for grave coercion, but was released later after posting bail.

The others remain at large.

De Lima had said one of the accused wants to turn state witness, but she declined to name the suspect.