Vice President Leni Robredo and 35 others are facing criminal complaints over the viral videos “Ang Totoong Narcolist” which accused family members of President Duterte of involvement in the illegal drugs trade.
The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group filed yesterday afternoon the criminal complaint before the Department of Justice.
In its complaint, the PNP-CIDG accused Robredo and her co-respondents of having committed “Sedition, Inciting Sedition, Cyber Libel, Libel, Estafa, Harboring a Criminal, and Obstruction of Justice.”
Peter Joemel Advincula, who is the hooded “Bikoy” in the viral videos, was also named as a respondent in the complaint and was present at its filing at the DoJ to swear to his sworn affidavit that was attached to the complaint.
The PNP-CIDG said Advincula was charged as it has been its practice to include as respondents its witnesses and it will be up to prosecutors whether or not to discharge them as state witnesses.
“As averred by Mr. Advincula, he was engaged by the respondents 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,” the PNP-CIDG said in its complaint.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he will form a panel of prosecutors who will conduct a preliminary investigation of the complaint.
Aside from Robredo and Advincula, also named respondents in the complaint are Senators Risa Hontiveros and Leila de Lima as well as former Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes IV; losing “Otso Diretso” senatorial candidates human rights lawyer Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno, former Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano, former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, Robredo’s election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, former Sen. Bam Aquino, former Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tanada III, and Samira Gutoc-Tomawis;
Lawyers former Supreme Court spokesman Theodore Te, Integrated Bar of the Philippines president Egon Cayosa, former IBP president Abdiel Dan Elijah Fajardo, Philip Sawali Minerva Ambrosio, Serafin Salvador, a person identified only as “Chito”; Catholic Church leaders Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines vice president Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, former CBCP president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco, former Novaliches Bishop Teodoro Bacani Jr., activist priest Fr. Robert Reyes, Fr. Flaviano Villanueva, and Fr. Alber Alejo;
Former Police Col. Eduardo Acierto, Jonnell Sangalang, Yolanda Villanueva, former Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro, Boom Enriquez, Vincent Romano III, Danilo Songco, a certain “Monique,” Joel Saracho, and Carmelito Salvador.
Citing the testimony of Advincula, the PNP-CIDG stated that from February to May, the respondents planned at the Jesuit Communication Building at the Ateneo de Manila University compound in Quezon City “to spread false information against President Duterte’s family and administration officials in order to agitate the general population into making mass protest with the possibility of bringing down the President from the position and allow Vice President Robredo to instantly succeed.”
“The spread of false information and accusation will also help bring down the popularity of the administration senatorial candidates and in turn boost the campaign of Otso Diretso candidates for the 2019 mid-term elections,” it added. (Jeffrey Damicog)
