JUDGING by his swagger, businessman Ferdinand Guerrero
is losing no sleep over his arrest after almost a year of eluding authorities. Guerrero is one of those charged with beating up TV host Vhong Navarro on Jan. 22 last year. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines–After a nearly yearlong manhunt, the National Bureau of Investigation arrested 54-year-old businessman Ferdinand Guerrero—one of five men charged along with Cedric Lee of mauling and detaining actor and TV host Vhong Navarro—inside his Makati penthouse on Sunday evening.
The arrest was made after an informant who had been keeping tabs on Guerrero’s unit at Ritz Tower, a high-end condominium on Ayala Avenue, reported seeing the suspect going in and out of the building in the past two months, said lawyer Augusto Eric Isidoro, chief of NBI’s anti-illegal drugs unit.
Investigators had tried to gain access to Guerrero’s penthouse at least 10 times, according to Isidoro, but were unsuccessful in getting past strict security guards. During Sunday’s operation, however, Isidoro said some agents talked to security personnel at the reception area to distract them while the others covertly went to the security chief who agreed to take them to Guerrero’s suite around 10:30 p.m.
Isidoro said that it was Guerrero’s younger sister who met them at the door but refused them entry. “We then talked to [Guerrero’s] father and told him to call his son, whom we knew was inside, so that we would not have to search the place room by room,” said Isidoro. “His father was very cooperative and brought Guerrero to us.”
The penthouse has a floor space of around 300 square meters with four bedrooms and costs around P40 million, added Isidoro.
Guerrero said that he had always planned to turn himself in but was just waiting for the right time as advised by his lawyer.
However, he vehemently denied that he had any involvement in mauling Navarro. He said he went to Deniece Cornejo’s condominium unit in Taguig City with the other suspects on Jan. 22 because he received word that she had been raped by Navarro.
The rape case against Navarro has since been dismissed by the justice department.
“It’s not true that I was one of those who beat [Navarro] up. Had I participated—and not to brag—he would have sustained more serious physical injuries [because] all my life I’ve been into martial arts. I’m a black belter in karate. I took boxing for five years. I’ve always been in shape,” he told reporters.
According to him, the extortion charge filed against him, Lee and the other suspects were “laughable” as they were all involved in prominent businesses. “P1 million? For what?” Guerrero said.
He added that he was not with Lee when the latter went up to Cornejo’s condominium apartment but was outside the building with Jose Paolo Gregorio Calma, another suspect. When they went up to Cornejo’s apartment, Guerrero said they saw that Navarro had already been beaten up.
At press time, Guerrero remained under NBI custody. Isidoro said they were awaiting the commitment order from the Pasig Regional Trial Court which would determine if the suspect will be transferred to Taguig City Jail.