Vice President Leni Robredo yesterday led the opposition Liberal Party in denying an alleged plot to unseat President Duterte.
Robredo said the LP had nothing to do with the destabilization plot, which was revealed by Peter Joemel Advincula, the man who claimed to be “Bikoy” in the controversial “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos, yesterday.
“Iyong Liberal Party, once again, nahila dito sa controversy. Gusto ko lang sabihin na I can speak for the party: Wala kaming kinalaman dito sa ‘Bikoy’ issue,” Robredo said.
“Natanong ko na si Sen. Kiko, na siya iyong party president, wala din siyang alam, hindi niya kilala, hindi pa niya nakausap. Kaya tingin ko unfair na isali ulit iyong LP dito,” she added.
The Vice President, who is the opposition leader, said they will not be cowed and intimidated if the accusations of Bikoy are meant to silence dissent.
“Iyong sa akin, kung ito ay harassment, kung ito ay ginagawang paraan para lalong yurakan at tapakan iyong Liberal Party o kaming nasa oposisyon, gusto ko lang sabihin sa ating mga kasama na hindi ito magiging dahilan para magpapatinag tayo. Hindi ito dahilan para huminto tayo sa pagpupuna kung may kailangan punahin,” she said.
The opposition leader said she doesn’t know Advincula and they never met in person and questioned his credibility.
“Hindi ko siya kilala. Never ko siyang nakausap, never ko siyang naka-text, never na nagkaroon ng communication between us,” said Robredo. “Ang sigurado ko lang, na nagsisinungaling siya. Ang sigurado ko nagsisinungaling siya kasi dinamay niya iyong LP, na walang kinalaman. Sinabi niya iyong pangalan ko, na nagkita kami, na ni anino niya hindi ko talaga nakita,” she said.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon and Sen. Francis N. Pangilinan, both of the LP, also denied Advincula’s claims.
“We deny the accusations. That the Liberal Party connived with an obviously professional con artist to topple the government is most absurd,” Drilon, LP vice chairman, said. “It is ridiculous on so many levels. It’s excruciating to have listened to all his lies,” he added.
“Kasinungalingan lahat ang mga paratang na ‘yan. Gawa-gawa lang ng administrasyon. Laging dinadamay ang LP sa mga ouster plot na gawa-gawa lang para pagtakpan ang mga palpak at kurakot sa administrasyon,” Pangilinan, outgoing LP president, said.
Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes IV is mulling on filing charges against Advincula and denied involvement in the video series to discredit the Duterte administration.
“I deny the allegations made by this Bikoy character. This could be another ploy of the administration to harass the opposition,” Trillanes said. “For now, I will be consulting with my lawyers so that we could also file the appropriate charges against him,” he added.
Opposition solon Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano is also mulling legal action against Advincula.
“I categorically deny the allegations of Bikoy. I do not know him and have never met him,” Alejano said.
“The Otso Diretso did not meet Bikoy ever. His claim that the Otso Diretso is planning to bring down the administration to have VP Leni Robredo sit as president is a lie,” Alejano said.
“I will consult with the Magdalo group, Otso Diretso members, and my lawyers regarding the apppropriate legal actions that I could take against Bikoy,” he noted. (Raymund Antonio, Mario Casayuran, and Ellson A. Quismorio)
