Bikoy says perjury raps filed by opposition figures ‘misleading’

FILE: Mugshot and booking procedure of Peter Joemel Advincula alias “Bikoy”. Advincula tags Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and the Liberal Party as the masterminds behind the controversial “Ang Totoong Narcolist” video. (Photo: PNP-PIO via Phil News Agency/Twitter)

MANILA — Embattled whistleblower Peter Joemel Advincula alias ‘Bikoy’ on Tuesday formally refuted the perjury charge filed against him by lawyers Theodore Te, Jose Manuel Diokno and Lorenzo Tañada III who are among the 36 persons named in sedition raps in connection with supposed efforts to undermine the administration during the May elections.

“(T)he present complaint is a vain attempt to mislead, or confuse the authorities in the investigation of the case referred to the DOJ by the CIDG-PNP, and that to charge the undersigned …is clearly a nuisance or harassment suit,” Advincula said in his three-page counter-affidavit as he urged the complainants to face the complaints against them filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).

The DOJ panel — Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Olivia L. Torrevillas and Assistant State Prosecutors Gino Paolo S. Santiago and Michael John M. Humarang — set the next hearing for the case on October 15.

Advincula argued that “whether the statements (he made) in the affidavit-complaint were all assertions of falsehood and was done with deliberate intent to lie, is a matter of defense which the herein complainants should disprove by presenting their evidence to the contrary before the special panel of prosecutors”.

The complaint arose as a result of the affidavit-complaint for sedition, inciting to sedition, cyber libel and harboring criminals/obstruction of justice earlier filed against various individuals.

Advincula claimed the perjury complaint against him “is nothing more but a harassment suit, and is intended to deter the undersigned from further testifying and disclosing the facts and participation of the various individuals in the said sedition cases,”

“(A)s to whether the facts I alleged in my affidavit-complaint are true or were only a deliberate assertion of falsehood are evidentiary in nature which the undersigned will prove once (a piece of) criminal information is filed in court,” he added.

The cases filed by the PNP-CIDG arising from Advincula, in connection with the so-called “Ang Totoong Narcolist” video” against 36 opposition figures, is now submitted for resolution by the prosecution panel of the DOJ following the submission of counter-affidavits by the respondents.

Two respondents, former Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano and Jonell Sangalang opted not to file a counter-affidavit.

Assistant Solicitor General Angelita Villanueva-Miranda earlier urged the DOJ panel to reconsider and order the issuance of subpoena for Jude Sabio, a lawyer of former senator Antonio Trillanes; Davao businesswoman Guillermina Barrido; and consumer advocate Perfecto Jaime Tagalog.

This after the CIDG filed new evidence in the sedition, inciting to sedition, cyber libel, libel, estafa, harboring a criminal/obstruction of justice cases.

Barrido and Tagalog have filed their sworn statements before the PNP. The testimony of the three would have been corroborative to the initial complaint filed by the PNP-CIDG.

Also named in the complaint are Vice President Leonor Robredo, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Eduardo Acierto, Senator Ana Theresia N. Hontiveros-Baraquel, former Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) president Abdiel Fajardo, IBP president Domingo Egon Cayosa, former Supreme Court spokesperson Theodore Te, lawyers Minerva Ambrosio, Serafin Salvador and Philip Sawali.

Senatorial candidates in the recent polls Samira Gutoc-Tomawis, Paolo Benigno A. Aquino, lawyers Lorenzo “Erin” R. Tañada III, Florin Hilbay and Romulo Macalintal were also charged.

Also charged were Yolando Villanueva Ong, Fr. Flaviano Villanueva, Fr. Albert E. Alejo, Fr. Robert Reyes, Bro. Armin A. Luistro, Cubao Diocese Bishop Honesto F. Ongtioco, retired Novaliches Bishop Teodoro Bacani Jr., Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio S. David, former Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Archbishop Socrates Villegas, publicist Boom Enriquez, Vicente R. Romano III, and film actor/activist Joel Saracho.

A certain alias “Sentrix” and “John Doe”, along with “Bikoy”, were also named for their part in the so-called Project Sodoma, which was allegedly hatched to discredit administration candidates in the May 13 elections.