‘Bikoy’ now under police custody after surrender
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2019 08:47:29 +0000
THE hooded narrator of a video series linking President Rodrigo Duterte’s family and allies to illegal drug activities has surrendered and is now under police custody, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde said.
Peter Joemel Advincula, alias “Bikoy,” who appeared in the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos, gave himself up before the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) at 7 p.m. on Monday amid a pending arrest warrant.
“Yes, sumuko siya kasi lumabas yung cyberlibel in connection the complaint of Mr. Co na inimplicate niya na sinasabi na nagmemaintain ng drug lab sa Bicol,” Albayalde said in a chance interview with the reporters.
(Yes, he surrendered because of [the] cyberlibel [case] in connection with the complaint of Mr. Co, who accused him of maintaining a drug lab in Bicol.)
The Legazpi City Regional Trial Court Branch 5 released the arrest warrant dated July 11 against Advincula with a recommendation for a P10,000 bail.
Co is Bicolano businessman Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co who, on May 14, filed a P1-billion cyber libel suit against Advincula and Rodel Jayme, owner of MetroBalita.net, which uploaded the controversial videos.
Facebook and Google are also co-respondents in the case.
Advincula accused Co in the fifth installment of the video series of being the leader of Quadrangle Group operating in Bicol, alleging that a basement inside Misibis Resort and Hotel Management Inc. was used as a drug laboratory.
Aside from the cyber libel case, Advincula is also facing sedition.
Albayalde said that the arrest warrant was for the violation of Republic Act 10175 under Cybercrime offenses in relation to Article 353, 354, and 355 of the Revised Penal Code.
In his affidavit, Advincula claimed that the videos were part of a plot to oust Duterte, which Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo and 35 others were allegedly involved in.
Robredo, former senators Benigno “Bam” Aquino 4th and Antonio Trillanes 4th; Otso Diretso candidates Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno, Romulo Macalintal, former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, Samira Gutoc and former congressman Erin Tañada are co-respondents in the sedition charges which the PNP-CIDG and the Department of Justice (DOJ) had filed. DARWIN PESCO