Police General Oscar Albayalde, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, confirmed Tuesday that an investigation will be launched to validate the alleged participation of some journalists and a group of lawyers in the alleged ouster plot against President Duterte.
This, after the Palace and a newspaper released Monday a matrix of the personalities allegedly involved in the ouster plot.
The matrix includes journalists from social news network Rappler, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), Vera Files, and National Union of People’s Lawyer (NUPL).
The groups are being linked to a mysterious man who identified himself as “Bikoy,” the brains behind a series of controversial “Ang Totoong Narco-list” videos in social media which tag Duterte and his family in the illegal drug trade.
“Sa mga instances na ganyan, it’s automatic para sa amin [to conduct an investigation] so that anytime na hingian kami ng information or comment we can give our findings already or information kung mayroon man or we can probably confirm or deny or kung meron kaming holdings,” Albayalde told reporters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
“What we do is just like what we do sa mga nakukuha nating information. We conduct validation so that anytime na hingan kami ng comment namin or information coming from us we can give them information ng mabilis,” he added.
The PNP Chief said the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) and Directorate for Intelligence (DI) will be tasked to confirm the validity of the involvement of the personalities in the matrix.
If evidence warrants cases, Albayalde said charges “can be filed” against the involved personalities.
“We always go for evidence, substantial evidence that will stand in court,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Albayalde also confirmed that the PNP has contributed to the formation of matrix.
“Well, probably a portion,” he said. He did not elaborate.
However, the country’s top cop clarified that there were no orders from the President to conduct a probe on the journalists and lawyers’ group in the matrix.
He said they will do it out of their own initiative. (Martin Sadongdong)
