‘Bikoy’ video sharer charged with inciting to sedition

Jayme said he had even joined his former contacts in the past administration in campaign sorties to the provinces. (File Photo: NBI)

MANILA — Criminal charges have been ordered by the Department of Justice (DoJ) against Rodel Jayme, the freelance website developer arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in connection with the “Bikoy” videos.

“While the NBI admits in its complaint that the respondent was only among the first social media platforms to post the said videos and that there are other personalities involved as seen in (the) NBI’s digital forensic examination report, we recommended that it conduct a thorough detailed investigation on the true identities of these persons and if warranted, file the appropriate complaints against them,” stated the DoJ in its resolution approving the filing of inciting to sedition raps against Jayme.

Prosecutors recommended PHP36,000 in bail to the Paranaque court for the accused person’s temporary liberty.

Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera told reporters it was still too early to consider whether Jayme would be utilized as a state witness in going after other personalities behind the video.

Speaking to newsmen in a press briefing at the NBI last Friday, Jayme said he was left to fend for himself by his former colleagues in the Liberal Party.

“Sa aking kaalaman kapwa ko po silang supporter noong presidential elections ng partido Liberal (In my knowledge, they are co-supporters of the Liberal last presidential elections),” Jayme said when asked to identify the persons who contacted him to set up a website for PHP2,500 earlier this year.

Jayme said he had even joined his former contacts in the past administration in campaign sorties to the provinces.

He, however, said he limited his participation in the Bikoy video to setting up with the website.

Jayme said while he had seen the video, he did not call attention to his contacts about its contents.

NBI officials said they are still evaluating the rest of forensic evidence from the devices seized from Jayme for possible charges.

The NBI Task Force on Cybercrime Division (CCD), under Senior Agent Francis Señora, said the inciting to sedition was committed in relation to Republic Act 10175, otherwise known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

Jayme had earlier been identified as the beneficiary in an ad sense account by a number of online personalities, and as the primary source of the videos featuring alias “Bikoy”, an anonymous person criticizing the administration’s war on drugs and slandering President Rodrigo Duterte’s family, including his minor daughter.

The NBI, in its report to the inquest prosecutor, said its investigation showed that the first uploader of the video was a YouTube account under the handle name of “Ang Totoong Narcolist” and was subsequently posted and shared by different social media sites — Pinoy Ako Blog, Change Scamming, Metro Balita, Madam Claudia and What the Fact Blog.

Seized from Jayme were a Cloudfone mobile phone, a Sky Cable billing statement, and a desktop computer including its peripherals.

The NBI Digital Forensic Laboratory team, upon scrutiny of the devices, found that Jayme’s Facebook account was still logged in and key message communications were also recovered.

Among the recovered conversation were to a certain “Maru Nguyen” and “Maru Xie”, which the NBI said is one person.

“Baka kausapin ka ng Magdalo (Magdalo might talk to you),” Nguyen told Jayme in the conversation.

A certain “Filmore”, who is a member of Magdalo, was also mentioned by Nguyen who said the goal was to gain international attention to the posted video.

“Jayme and his cohorts did not just share/like the videos. Instead the posting is a concrete effort (not merely a statement of opinion) directed to a more complicated result,” said the NBI, noting that the acts were committed between April 2 and 30.