Mayor Sara, Paolo Duterte hit opposition over ‘Bikoy’ revelation

Mayor Sara said the group is so disorganized that it “cannot even get to the first base because the path to their objective is in disarray”. (File Photo: City Government of Davao/Facebook)

DAVAO CITY — Mayor Sara Duterte blasted members of the opposition tagged by Peter Joemel Advincula alias “Bikoy” as the ones behind the viral videos titled “Ang Totoong Narcolist” calling it a “scam created by people who oppose the Duterte administration.”

Mayor Sara said the group is so disorganized that it “cannot even get to the first base because the path to their objective is in disarray”.

“Kung ako leader ng grupo na ito (If I were the leader of this group), I will shoot myself in the head, get rid of the brain that is not useful,” Sara said in a statement released on Thursday.

Advincula, who previously introduced himself as the hooded figure Bikoy, surrendered to police authorities in Manila on Thursday and tagged Senators Antonio Trillanes and Risa Hontiveros and Liberal Party members as the brains behind the controversial videos purposely to discredit President Rodrigo R. Duterte, Mayor Sara, Congressman-elect Paolo Duterte, and Senator-elect Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go.

In a press conference facilitated by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) in Manila earlier this month, Advincula linked Duterte, his family and Go to the illegal drugs trade and that drug money was funneled into the bank accounts of Paolo and Sara’s husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, and Go.

Advincula, who turned himself in on Wednesday, was presented by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Oscar Albayalde to the media on Thursday. He backtracked his earlier statement and tagged Trillanes, Hontiveros and the Liberal Party as behind the plot.

With this development, Paolo said a proper investigation should be made into the latest confession of Advincula.

He said that from the very start, it was clear that the Bikoy videos were fabricated, with a narrative “taken straight from the playbook of people whose desire is to destroy our name and our reputation”.

“All the lies presented were also meant to crush the trust of the Filipino people in the authorities and inspire public disgust against the government — truly the handiwork of people who want to undermine the Duterte administration,” Paolo said.

“Without a doubt, as I have said before, Senator Antonio Trillanes was behind it. And now that many names have also surfaced, to include Sen. Risa Hontiveros and several lawyers, I believe a proper investigation is in order,” Paolo said.