The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday imposed a P5,000 fine on the security agency of a ritzy condominium in Taguig City, where TV host-actor Vhong Navarro was beaten up by the group of businessman Cedric Lee, for its failure to report the incident to the police.<\/p>\n\n
United Megaforce Security Services Inc. may also lose its license to operate if it is found to have committed major lapses, according to Chief Insp. Sonny Celedio, administrative officer of the PNP Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agency (SOSIA).<\/p>\n\n
The PNP imposed the penalty after SOSIA\u2014the police unit tasked to supervise private security agencies\u2014summoned officials of United Megaforce to shed light on the Jan. 22 incident involving Navarro, Lee and model Deniece Cornejo who had accused the TV host of rape.<\/p>\n\n
Lee\u2014a friend of Cornejo\u2014said he walked into her Forbeswood Heights condominium unit and caught Navarro raping her, prompting him and his companions to beat him up. The actor, on the other hand, claimed that it was all a setup so that Lee could extort money from him.<\/p>\n\n
\u2018They are at fault\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cWe were wondering why they [did not report the mauling immediately]. For that alone, they are at fault. That\u2019s why we are penalizing them,\u201d Celedio told reporters.<\/p>\n\n He said the security agency should have informed the nearest police station of the incident within 24 hours after it happened as required by SOSIA\u2019s existing policy.<\/p>\n\n Condo owner\u2019s orders <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Wilfredo Molles, the security agency\u2019s operation manager, however, explained that they merely complied with the order of Forbeswood management not to report Navarro\u2019s mauling to the police.<\/p>\n\n \u201cWe can\u2019t do anything but obey the instructions of our client,\u201d Molles told reporters.<\/p>\n\n But Celedio said United Megaforce should not use the building owner\u2019s order as an excuse. Instead, officials of the security agency should have told their client that they were required to report the incident to the PNP, he added.<\/p>\n\n PNP\u2019s warning <\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cOur authority is limited only to the private security agencies and their personnel. That\u2019s why we are telling the security agencies to remind their clients that there are policies which they are bound to respect,\u201d Celedio said.<\/p>\n\n At the same time, he warned that \u201cif a similar incident [happened] and they kept it from the police, we will penalize them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n According to him, SOSIA\u2019s investigating unit was ordered to submit a report of its probe of the incident within the week. Depending on the gravity of the security agency\u2019s violations, it may revoke the license it granted to United Megaforce.<\/p>\n\n Meanwhile, a Department of Justice (DOJ) panel tasked to conduct a preliminary investigation of the criminal complaint filed by Navarro against Lee, Cornejo and six others will also hear the model\u2019s rape complaint against the TV host.<\/p>\n\n 2 cases consolidated <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n This was after the DOJ consolidated the two cases on Monday \u201cconsidering that the complaints… arose from one and the same incident\u201d and are \u201cfounded on the same factual and legal issues involving the same parties.\u201d<\/p>\n\n \u201cThe City Prosecutor of Taguig is hereby directed to transmit the entire records of the complaint of Deniece Millinette Cornejo to the DOJ panel of prosecutors immediately upon receipt thereof,\u201d DOJ Prosecutor General Claro Arellano said in his order. With Christine O. Avendano<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday imposed a P5,000 fine on the security agency of a ritzy condominium in Taguig City, where TV host-actor Vhong Navarro was beaten up by the group of businessman Cedric Lee, for its failure to report the incident to the police.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[36,38],"tags":[123903,1463,206080,125098,126,124512,2737,123847],"byline":[192],"source":[206078],"column":[],"editor":[],"videographer":[],"position":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n