‘Bikoy’ willing to be state witness even sans witness protection

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 — Whistleblower Peter Joemel “Bikoy” Advincula is willing to be a state witness but is not inclined to be covered by the government state witness protection program, his lawyer Lorenzo “Larry” Gadon said on Monday.

Advincula’s testimony in connection with the personalities behind the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” online video released during last year’s elections led to his indictment, along with former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and several others for conspiracy to commit sedition.

“He (Advincula) does not want to be placed under the WPP (Witness Protection Program) as he finds it too restrictive, its like prison. But he is willing to be a state witness,” Gadon said in a message to reporters.

Advincula is set to post bail later today (Monday) for his temporary liberty in the charges.

The Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court earlier issued arrest warrants against Trillanes IV, Advincula and several others charged with conspiracy to commit sedition filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Aside from Trillanes and Advincula, also facing charges and ordered arrested by MeTC Branch 138 Judge Kristine Grace Suarez are Jonnel P. Sangalang, Yolanda Ong, Fr. Flaviano Villanueva, Fr. Albert E. Alejo, Vicente R. Romano III, film actor Joel Saracho, Eduardo Acierto, publicist Boom Enriquez, and a certain “Monique”.

Villanueva and Alejo subsequently posted bail.

Advincula incriminated his co-accused in a plot to smear President Rodrigo Duterte and his family in a series of videos released during the campaign period last year.

The complaint alleged that Trillanes and his co-accused are involved in “circulating malicious and scurrilous libels and fabricating evidence against him and his immediate family members, making it appear that the president and his family are engaged in a drug trade syndicate, with no other purpose but to inflict an act of hate or revenge against the president and his immediate family members.”

The charges were approved by Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento upon the recommendation of the panel of prosecutors led by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Olivia Laroza-Torrevillas and Assistant State Prosecutors Michael John Humarang and Gino S. Paolo Santiago.