Trigger Warning: Contains mentions of terms related to alleged sexual violence
Former model-VJ Kat Alano shared a cryptic tweet after the Supreme Court‘s Third Division dismissed charges filed against television host-actor Vhong Navarro on Monday.
The Division in a 43-page ruling dated February 8 ordered the dismissal of the rape and acts of lasciviousness charges against the host due to “lack of probable cause.”
In July 2022, the Court of Appeals ordered the filing of cases over the 2014 incident which involved Vhong and entrepreneur Deniece Cornejo.
Deniece accused the host of raping her in a condominium unit at the Bonifacio Global City on Jan. 17, 2014, and of attempting to rape her on Jan. 22, 2014.
The Department of Justice had junked her complaints before since it said the allegations had credibility issues.
This was reversed by the Court of Appeals’ Fourteenth Division last year, which ordered prosecutors to file the charges of rape by sexual intercourse and acts of lasciviousness against Vhong.
Meanwhile, the SC Third Division said that the appeals court “erred in finding that the DOJ committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction in dismissing the Third Complaint for rape and attempted rape against Navarro for lack of probable cause.”
The high court also noted the inconsistencies in Denice’s allegations in the complaints.
Philstar.com reported that in her first complaint filed Jan. 29, 2014, Deniece alleged that she was not raped.
In the second rap filed a month later and third complaint filed Oct. 16, 2015, Deniece alleged rape.
In the first and second complaints, Deniece also said she did not take a sip from the glass of wine, which she contradicted in her third complaint.
Vhong walked free after posting bail.
How Kat reacted
Meanwhile, the recent developments in the case led Kat, one of the host’s supposed victims, to release the following tweet on the same day the SC Division publicized its ruling.
“So you gotta have frieeeends… Friends in all the right places, even when you’re wrong.”
It has earned 56 likes and over 9,800 views on the short-message social media platform so far.
Kat previously tweeted about “justice” after claiming she was raped by someone whose name “#rhymeswithwrong.”
She opened up about her experience at the height of the “#HijaAko” movement in 2020, a hashtag initiated by singer Kakie Pangilinan to fight victim blaming against women for sex crimes and harassment.
“When I was raped by #rhymeswithwrong, still-famous celebrity who had smear campaigns to destroy my career and raped many more, I was wearing a t-shirt and jeans. He drugged me too, so trying to take my jeans off was difficult for him. Hard to rape an unconscious person in jeans. #HijaAko,” Kat tweeted before.
“And for all those who bashed me and enjoyed my downfall, I still stand by my truth. That man is a serial rapist. And #RapeisRape #HijaAko,” she added.
Kat also shared her experience on a radio show with Mo Twister in 2014. (J. malasig, interaksyon)
Caption: Vhong Navarro in this photo posted on his Instagram account on Jan. 10, 2022 and Kat Alano in this photo posted on her Instagram account on June 4, 2021 (vhongx44/Instagram; katalano/Instagram)
