Cedric Lee, Deniece Cornejo release pending court clearances

Composite image shows Cedric Lee, Deniece Cornejo and Vhong Navarro in undated photos.

The STAR / Jesse Bustos, ABS-CBN

MANILA, Philippines — Businessman Cedric Lee and model Deniece Cornejo cannot yet be released despite a Court of Appeals order reducing their sentences, as the Bureau of Corrections said it is still waiting for key court documents and must complete a final records check.

In a statement Monday, September 28, BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said the bureau must first obtain the official entry of judgment docuemnt from the Court of Appeals and a certificate indicating no pending cases from the Taguig City Regional Trial Court.

BuCor said it is formally requesting both documents as part of its standard records validation to ensure that all legal requirements for release of the two respondents in television show host Vhong Navarro's mulling and detention have been met.

"No Entry of Judgement has been issued, therefore it is being requested before the Judicial Records Division of the said court," BuCor said.

The statement came after lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, Cornejo's former counsel, shared with reporters a copy of a Court of Appeals release order covering Cornejo and Lee.

Reduced sentences, separate conviction

Lee and Cornejo were originally sentenced by Taguig RTC Branch 153 to reclusion perpetua, or up to 40 years in prison, after being convicted of serious illegal detention for ransom involving actor-host Vhong Navarro.

The CA Special Seventeenth Division later downgraded the offense to grave coercion and reduced the penalty to a minimum of six months to a maximum of three years, six months and 21 days.

BuCor, however, said its records show that Lee and Cornejo are also serving separate sentences for another grave coercion conviction under Taguig RTC Branch 266.

That sentence, which was affirmed by the CA Ninth Division, carries the same penalty.

Because the two sentences must be served successively, BuCor said their combined prison terms range from a minimum of four years and 21 days to a maximum of seven years and 21 days.

Time credits still part of computation

BuCor's Person Deprived of Liberty Documents and Processing Division said both Lee and Cornejo have accumulated time allowances under Republic Act No. 10592, including Good Conduct Time Allowance and Time Allowance for Study, Teaching and Mentoring.

Lee has been in BuCor custody since May 3, 2024. With 460 days of GCTA, his total credited time stood at three years, 10 months and 29 days as of September 26.

BuCor calculated his presumptive minimum sentence completion date as Feb. 18, 2027, and his maximum sentence completion date as Feb. 18, 2030.

Cornejo, who has been in custody since May 2, 2024, has logged two years, four months and 24 days of actual time served, according to BuCor.

With 440 days of GCTA and 75 days of TASTM, her total credited time stood at three years, nine months and 24 days.

Her presumptive minimum sentence completion date is Dec. 23, 2026, while her maximum sentence completion date is Dec. 23, 2029.

Lee and Cornejo were imprisoned over the 2014 case filed by Navarro, who said he was attacked, restrained, threatened and held by a group that included Lee, which allegedly demanded money in exchange for his release.