Opposition figures charge Bikoy with perjury

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 7) – Peter Joemel Advincula, the man who claimed to be "Bikoy" in the controversial "Ang Totoong Narcolist" videos linking the Duterte family to illegal drug trade, is facing a perjury complaint over his alleged false testimonies in sedition raps filed against opposition figures.

Lawyers Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno Chel Diokno, Theodore Te, and Lorenzo Erin Tanada III are each seeking P5 million in moral damages from Advincula for allegedly lying in a legal proceeding, and Lieutenant Colonel Arnold Thomas Ibay from the Philippine National Police - Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) for submitting and using as sole basis for a criminal complaint Advincula's affidavit, despite supposedly knowing that he is a "false witness."

“On or about July 22, 2019, knowing that Advincula was a false witness and that (his sworn statement) contained untruthful statements knowingly made against us, Ibay nevertheless submitted it as basis of a criminal complaint against us,” the complaint said.

Diokno, Te, and Tanada said that the accusation that Advincula met with them and other opposition candidates in the midterm polls held in May 2019 to unseat Duterte from office was not true.

The staunch critics of the current administration said they never met with Advincula.

They are among the 38 respondents, including Vice President Leni Robredo, in the sedition raps filed with the Justice department in connection with their alleged plot to oust President Rodrigo Duterte.

The complaint stemmed from the "Ang Totoong Narcolist" episodes, where Advincula claimed that the President’s young daughter, his son former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, then senatorial candidate Christopher “Bong” Go, and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte’s husband Manases Carpio were part of a drug syndicate where he claimed to have served a former record keeper.

Advincula surfaced and revealed his identity to the public at the Integrated Bar of the Philippines headquarters due to alleged threats he had been receiving. Advincula requested for legal assistance from IBP but he was denied of such after "thorough evaluation of his application."

He then changed his tune, saying the allegations about Duterte and some of his family members were part of a script and that the videos were part of “Project Sodoma,” a plan to remove Duterte from office.