Hotel denies housing pageant contestants
MANILA – Former pageant contestant Roxanne Acosta Cabañero's version of events surrounding her alleged rape by actor-host Vhong Navarro four years ago came under fire Sunday after two sources contradicted some parts of her sworn affidavit.
In an interview with “Buzz ng Bayan” host Boy Abunda on Sunday, comedian Vice Ganda said he was in Island Cove, a resort in Cavite, on April 24, 2010, the same date that Cabañero claimed she was raped by the “It’s Showtime” host somewhere in Pasig City.
“Nung araw na nagpunta sila para mag-promote ng pageant [sa 'It's Showtime'], hindi ko na po 'yun naaalala. Nung nalaman ko 'yung date, ipinaalala ng mga tao na concert ko 'yun at guest ko sila Kean Cipriano and Vhong Navarro. Sa Cavite po ang leg ng concert ko na 'yun,” he said.
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| Vhong Navarro and Roxanne Cabañero. |
“Kung nagsisimula ng 9 p.m. maaaring matapos ako ng 12 midnight or baka mas mahaba pa,” he added, noting that Navarro stayed until his final production number.
According to Cabanero’s affidavit, she was with Navarro in his car at around midnight on that day.
\In a separate interview aired on "Buzz ng Bayan," the management of the hotel where Cabañero and the rest of the Miss Bikini Philippines candidates were supposed to have been checked in on the night in question denied that they housed the beauties almost four years ago.
Also talking to Abunda, Astoria Plaza project director Ric Valenzuela said the event was indeed offered to them but this did not push through.
“Actually that event was offered to us but unfortunately the event organizer was asking for too many rooms because of the candidates. We could not accommodate them all. We have limited rooms here. We declined the offer of the promotion,” he said.
In Cabanero’s sworn affidavit, she mentioned that on the night of April 24, 2010, Navarro sent her a message suggesting that they meet at her hotel room in Astoria Plaza in Pasig City but she declined because she was with her fellow candidates.
Valenzuela, however, said this could not have been possible.
“They decided to transfer to another hotel. We did the negotiations with the event manager but it didn’t push through… That one is confirmed because I was the one who negotiated for that. Confirmed na we declined because we cannot provide the rooms,” he said.
Valenzuela said the hotel management also checked their records to see if a certain Roxanne Acosta Cabañero was checked in at their hotel around that period.
“We checked the database. These are the arrivals and guestings from April 22 to 25 para covered because we don’t know how many days. There was none. There was no Roxanne Cabanero,” he said.
However, he conceded that it is possible that someone checked in for her or that she was merely a guest of one of their clients.
Last Wednesday, Cabanero filed a rape case against Navarro at the Pasig City Prosecutor's Office. Her legal counsel, Atty. Virgilio Battala, told media that the alleged rape incident happened in 2010.
