NBI raids Samar home for Deniece Cornejo

MANILA, Philippines — Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) searched a house in Eastern Samar where serious illegal detention suspect Deniece Cornejo was believed to be hiding.

In a radio report on Monday, lawyer Emetrio Donallo of NBI Samar District said only pieces of of women's clothing were found inside the residence where Cornejo is suspected to have stayed.

Update: Deniece Cornejo surrenders

Donnallo said Cornejo may have been hiding with detained businessman Cedric Lee and martial artist Simeon Palma aka Zimmer Raz. The latter were nabbed by NBI in an Eastern Samar resort last April 27.

Once arrested, Cornejo will be held without bail.

National Capital Region Director Efren Meneses Jr. said, meanwhile, that Cornejo's co-accused Jed Fernandez and Ferdinand Guerrero are still being tracked by authorities.

Meneses said that Fernandez has been sighted in Metro Manila, Quezon province and Batangas province the past weeks.

The five are accused of assaulting and detaining television host Vhong Navarro in a Taguig City condominium unit in January.

Cornejo's grandfather, Rod Cornejo, has appealed to the commercial model to surrender.

Navarro was accused of rape by Cornejo, but the case was dismissed by the Department of Justice in April. - Camille Diola