Trillanes, 10 others ordered arrested over 'Bikoy' videos

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 14) — A Quezon City court has ordered the arrest of former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and 10 other individuals supposedly responsible for circulating the videos alleging the presidential family's drug involvement.

The arrest orders were issued Thursday, three days after the Metropolitan Trial Court of Quezon City charged Trillanes and his supposed cohorts with conspiracy to commit sedition. A ₱10,000 bail bond was recommended for their provisional liberty.

Among those charged is Peter Joemel Advincula, the man claiming to be the hooded figure "Bikoy" the "Ang Totoong Narcolist" video series. The videos, which went viral last year, linked President Rodrigo Duterte and his family to the illegal drug trade.

Advincula has since flip-flopped about the origin of the videos. He earlier said he was not tapped by any political party to produce the videos, but later claimed that Trillanes was the mastermind. He also accused Vice President Leni Robredo of being present in meetings to oust Duterte.

READ: Opposition figures charge Bikoy with perjury

The court dismissed the inciting to sedition and other criminal complaints against Robredo and 25 members of the opposition. Aside from Trillanes and Advincula, the court charged Joel Saracho, Boom Enriquez, a certain "Monique," Yolanda Ong, Vicente Romano III, Fr. Albert Alejo, Fr. Flaviano Villanueva, Jonnel Sangalang, and Eduardo Acierto.

Trillanes in a statement said he is currently out of the country and that he will post bail upon returning to Manila next week.

"I will face this case just as I have faced all the other harassment cases Duterte's minions have filed against me," Trillanes said.

Trillanes is out on bail amid ongoing trial for several cases – including revived rebellion charges after Duterte voided his 2011 amnesty, and the libel complaints filed against him by presidential son and Davao City Representative-elect Paolo Duterte, and his brother-in-law Mans Carpio.

Meanwhile, Advincula will also post bail next week, according to his lawyer, Larry Gadon.

Catholic priests Alejo and Villanueva both paid ₱10,000 for their temporary liberty on Friday. According to a court order that granted their temporary liberty, the pre-trial conference and arraignment of the case – where they will plead guilty or not guilty to the charges – will be on March 17.

Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Olivia Torrevillas on Thursday explained that Trillanes and the 10 other respondents have only been charged for conspiracy to commit sedition, and not inciting for sedition, since there was no overt act to call for public uprising.

“Those accused have been charged for circulating malicious libels and fabricating evidence to make it appear that Duterte and his family are involved in drug trade as an act of revenge," Torrevillas said in a media briefing.

"The conspiracy here was to inflict libelous imputations against the president," she added.

According to Article 141 of the Revised Penal Code, persons conspiring to commit the crime of sedition shall be punished with reclusion perpetua or up to 40 years in prison.

CNN Philippines' Anjo Alimario contributed to this report.