Opposition blasts sedition, other raps filed by PNP-CIDG against them

In a statement, the camp of Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo, through her spokesperson Barry Gutierrez, said the complaint was just “kwentong kutsero” or hearsay. (File photo: VP Leni Robredo/Facebook)

Opposition personalities on Thursday, July 18, blasted the sedition and other charges filed against them by Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) over the controversial “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos that linked President Rodrigo Duterte’s family to illegal drugs.

In a statement, the camp of Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo, through her spokesperson Barry Gutierrez, said the complaint was just “kwentong kutsero” or hearsay.

“If this is purely based on the outrageous statement previously given by Mr. Advincula, we can confidently say this is completely baseless and nothing more than plain and simple harassment,” Gutierrez said referring to Peter Joemel Advincula who claims to be the hooded man in the viral videos and was also one of the respondents in the complaint.

“Kwentong kutsero na pinilit gawing batayan sa kaso (A hearsay forced to be a basis for the filing of the case),” he added.

Meanwhile, Senator Francis Pangilinan, president of the Liberal Party (LP), branded the charges filed against them as “political harassment” and “persecution.”

“Gawa-gawa, kasinungalingan, at walang basehan sa katotohanan ang mga paratang (These allegations are only made-up, a lie, and without basis),” he said, adding, “Ginagawa ito ng mga kalaban ng demokrasya dahil si VP na lang ang nakaharang sa kanilang hangarin na ituloy ang patayan sa huwad na war on drugs nang walang nananagot, ang pagbenta ng Pilipinas sa China, at ang panghabambuhay na paghahari-harian nila sa bansa (The enemies of democracy are doing this because the Vice President is the only hindrance to their plan to continue their fake war on drugs where no one is held accountable, their sellout of the Philippines to China, and their desire to stay in power forever).”

Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, for his part, echoed Pangilinan’s statement, stressing that the PNP-CIDG “clearly abused and misused the subpoena power recently bestowed on them to single out critics of the Duterte administration.”

“Alam nila na wala silang hawak na ebidensya kundi ang salaysay ng isang testigo na ilang ulit nang nagsinungaling sa publiko, pero tinuloy pa rin ang pag-file ng kaso (They know that they do not have any evidence except the statement of a witness who has been repeatedly lying to the public, and yet they still filed a case),” he said.

Aside from sedition, other charges filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against the opposition side were inciting to sedition, cyber-libel, libel, estafa, harboring a criminal, and obstruction of justice.

Those named in the complaint apart from Robredo, Trillanes, and Advincula were Senators Risa Hontiveros and Leila De Lima, former senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, and Otso Diretso senatorial candidates Gary Alejano, Chel Diokno, Samira Gutoc, Florin Hilbay, Romulo Macalintal, and Erin Tañada.

Among the other respondents were Archbishops Pablo Virgilio David and Socrates Villegas, Bishops Honesto Ongtioco and Teodoro Bacani, Jr., and other clergy members Father Flaviano Villanueva, Father Albert Alejo, and Father Robert Reyes, and former Education Secretary Brother Armin Luistro.

“Sana lang ay mag-isip nang malalim at hindi magpagamit sa pulitika ang mga DOJ prosecutors na mag-iimbestiga nitong kasong ito. Bagkus ay gawin ang nararapat para lumabas ang katotohanan (I hope that DOJ prosecutors who will be investigating this case would think deeply and won’t be swayed by politics, instead, they should do what is right so that the truth will come out),” Trillanes said.

In an interview with GMA’s Unang Balita on Friday, July 19, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said the Palace “definitely” has no hand in the filing of the said cases, saying that it was the “own decision” of the PNP.

“We have so much work to do. Marami pong ginagawa ang Presidente (The President is doing a lot of things). He is fighting corruption left and right,” he said.