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Businessman Cedric Lee, who was recently found guilty of serious illegal detention in the case involving actor Vhong Navarro, has voluntarily surrendered himself to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
NBI Director Medardo de Lemos confirmed that Lee’s surrender came after a mediation process between Lee’s camp and the NBI. According to de Lemos, Lee expressed his willingness to surrender, leading to coordination between his camp and the NBI.
“Ito ay kusang loob niya. May namagitan sa amin na gusto niyang sumuko kaya kami ay nakipag-ugnayan kay Cedric Lee,” De Lemos stated.
De Lemos further emphasized that Lee’s surrender was a proactive step to ensure the smooth progress of legal proceedings in the case.
Ensuring Lee’s safety while under their custody, the NBI assured tight security measures during his detention.
Lee, maintaining his innocence, vowed to exhaust all legal remedies and appeal the court’s decision. He denied any involvement in detaining Navarro during the 2014 incident and refuted allegations of extortion.
“Mag-aappeal kami. We will exhaust all legal remedies… Walang illegal detention na nangyari. Kung titingnan niyo lahat ng elements ng crime, wala. So we never detained him for more than a day. We never inflicted serious physical injuries,” Lee asserted.
Lee clarified that the decision to surrender to the NBI was influenced by his belief that it would provide a safer environment for him.
The NBI will return the warrant of arrest to the Taguig court, awaiting further instructions on Lee’s detention status.
“Kapag sinabi na ‘bukas dalhin sa isang facility,’ dadalhin namin. Kami ay mag-aantabay sa kung ano ang sasabihin,” De Lemos explained.
