Lawyer Lorenzo “Larry” Gadon yesterday expressed hope that the Department of Justice will find probable cause to indict Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo and co-respondents for sedition.
“I am also quite hopeful that the charges of inciting to sedition will be resolved in favor of the complainant because what is being established is the probable cause,” said Gadon in a statement.
A DoJ panel of prosecutors chaired by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Olivia Torrevillas concluded last Sept. 12 the preliminary investigation of the complaint filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group based on the testimony of Peter Joemel Advincula, alias “Bikoy.”
“In preliminary investigations, it is enough that the charges, as alleged with convincing proof, are sufficient to arrive at a conclusion that a crime may have been committed,” explained Gadon, who is the lawyer of Advincula.
“It will be up to the courts to determine the guilt of the accused based on evidence beyond reasonable doubt,” he pointed out.
Advincula, who is also named as a respondent in the complaint, has also expressed similar sentiments. “Malinaw naman sa aking mga sinumpaang salaysay ang kanilang partisipasyon sa paggawa ng planong ‘Sodoma.’”
The case stemmed from the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” video series which featured the hooded Bikoy, who was revealed to be Advincula, and accused a number of personalities, including members of the Duterte family, as being involved in the illegal drugs trade.
In its complaint, the PNP-CIDG accused 36 respondents of having committed sedition, inciting to sedition, cyber libel, libel, estafa, harboring a criminal, and obstruction of justice.
The PNP-CIDG said Advicula was allegedly engaged by the respondents for a destabilization plot called “Project: Sodoma” to “spread lies against the President, his family, and close associates, making them to appear as illegal trade protectors and how they earned staggering amounts of money.”
Aside from Robredo and Advincula, other respondents in the complaint include Senators Risa Hontiveros and Leila de Lima as well as former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV. (Jeffrey Damicog)
