In her Inquirer column today, Solita “Winnie” Monsod is up in arms over what she regards as the Philippine police’s selective treatment of statements made by Peter Joemel Advincula over the last several months. Advincula, we recall, is the hooded figure “Bikoy” in the video series “Ang Totoong Narcolist” which supposedly tagged President Rodrigo Duterte’s family in the drug trade.
According to Monsod, the police ignored the allegations “Bikoy” made in these videos but then, in laying sedition charges against key Opposition personalities this week “swallowed Advincula’s new version hook, line and sinker.” Monsod further asserts that the police “have been investigating his new charges, where they completely ignored his old ones. Not only investigated, they have filed charges against the whole lot, for ‘inciting to sedition’.”
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Monsod is seriously misguiding her readers. This “new version”, is based on Advincula’s actual sworn statements and not merely on things he said on YouTube videos. Monsod is wrong saying that the police would have had equal bases to act on the “Bikoy” videos in the same manner that they now do in laying charges against Opposition leaders recently. The “Bikoy” videos offer no bases for police action. But Advincula’s more recent sworn statements, on the other hand, do.
The Inquirer, in an article published on the 4th of June, reported that “Advincula has submitted his affidavit to the police after returning to the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group on May 27 for protective custody.” The affidavit documents Advincula’s claims he met with a number of members of the Roman Catholic clergy as well as former Education Secretary Armin Luistro and that these meetings “centered on how to publicize a story that the President’s allies and family were linked to illegal drugs, to unseat Duterte, and to ensure the defeat of administration-backed senatorial candidates in the recently concluded elections.”
Dubbed, “Project Sodoma,” the supposed conspiracy to undermine and unseat Duterte may have possibly been sanctioned by administrators of the Ateneo de Manila University and could involve the highest officials of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). In his 27th May affidavit, Advincula reportedly “claimed that [Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan and former head of the CBCP] was present at a meeting on Dec. 12 at the Jesuit Residence at Ateneo de Manila University.”
Charges of sedition filed by the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) this week against all the members of “Otso Diretso”, which failed to win any seats in this year’s elections, “vice president” Leni Robredo, senators Leila De Lima and Risa Hontiveros, and former “senator” Antonio Trillanes IV are also reportedly based on Advincula’s sworn statements.
Also charged were Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, former Sen. Bam Aquino, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, Moro civic leader Samira Gutoc, former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, election lawyer Romulo Macalintal and House Deputy Speaker Erin Tañada, who ran for the Senate under opposition slate Otso Diretso in the May elections but lost.
The same charges were also filed against vocal critics of the Duterte administration including Archbishops Socrates Villegas and Pablo Virgilio David, Bishops Honesto Ongtioco and Teodoro Bacani Jr., and priests Albert Alejo and Robert Reyes.
Former Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro and former Supreme Court spokesperson Theodore Te and several officials of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) were also cited in the complaint.
Contrary to what Monsod claims, the police are not simply “swallowing” Advincula’s statements “hook, line and sinker”. In late May when Advincula’s first issued his sworn statements against the priests, [National police chief Oscar Albayalde] said investigators still have to determine whether the claims by Advincula, who was described by police as a “peddler of fake information,” have enough basis.
“We don’t take [his claims] as the gospel truth. He has to substantiate his statements with evidence,” added Albayalde.
Contrary to what all the shrill “thought leaders” of the Opposition are screeching, the matter is being handled by the book.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Kim Molitas, PNP deputy spokesperson, said it would be best to let the investigation, that will be undertaken by the Department of Justice (DOJ), take its natural course.
[…]
“The cases [have] been filed in court already, hence, we leave this to their appreciation,” Molitas told the Manila Bulletin.
People like Monsod are only adding unnecessary noise to the “issue” rather than be a beacon of level-headed clarity befitting her supposed role as one of the more educated “thought leaders” of the lot. No laws are being broken and the police and the Philippines’ Department of Justice are, for now the most qualified agencies to handle the case. Following that, it then becomes a matter for the Philippines’ judiciary to rule on. What the Opposition, again, have failed to do was follow their own rule book — which, to be fair, only makes them consistent with their track record of seizing power illegally and causing instability among a people who only want a stable environment to build a strong nation.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
Solita Monsod asks in her Inquirer column: “Since when is opposition and criticism seditious? What
happened to free speech?” She actually answers those questions herself by the mere fact that she could write her article without the least impediment. But the meaty revelation is her stand in advancing an undistilled Yellow viewpoint, which is that anything that favors President Duterte is obnoxious and anything against is criminal. She applies that kind of logic here in the case of Bikoy, the erstwhile Yellow-hero-turned-traitor, and forgets how he first made an allegation in the YouTube video which he himself debunks by supplying hard evidence in the latter instance. What part of this episode is hard to understand for Mrs. Monsod? Well, she’s an economist, not a lawyer, and that’s easy to understand.
Na Bikoy na silang lahat ! From Day One of the Duterte Administration; these people of the Aquino Cojuangco political axis, tried to remove Pres. Duterte, thru impeachment, on the Extra Judicial Killing cases. The drug dealer and nymphomaniac, Leila de Lima, and her buddy, the “kudeta addict”, Trillanes, were conducting inquiries in the Senate for grounds for impeachment.
They had already plans to hijack the 2016 National Election, by cheating thru HOCUS PCOS and SMARTSWITIK. They even bribed, former COMELEC Chief Andres Bautista, to do the job of cheating; and putting the Fake Vice President Lugaw Robredo as the winner. Andres Bautista, is now enjoying his bribes, as a TNT in the U.S.
There is a recount of votes for the Vice President position. But, the recount is being sabotaged with due reasons. And, the proclamation of the winner, is being delayed by the crook, Caguioa.
There is a reason for validity of the sedition charges. Since, these opposition groups, even went to international agencies, and foreign countries, asking for help in the removal of Pres. Duterte.
Now that the 2022 Presidential election is nearing. They are desperate to gain power, in order to rig the election in their favors. Since their “otso diretso” candidates were flushed into the inodoro by the Filipino voters…
They should answer the Sedition Charges in the Court of Laws; instead of making it be tried in the “Court of Public Opinion”…Monsod is one of the “running dogs” of the Aquino Cojuangco political axis…I’m sure she is an active player in the “Project SODOMA”…na sodomize na si Monsod…
They try to remove a duly elected President thru coup d’ etat, with the help of Bikoy and Stella. Now that they failed, and are hailed in the court of law: They cry : “Freedom of Speech” and “Political persecution” …
These idiots are still having their ‘EDSA hangover”…they have not yet moved on from their “EDSA revolution slumber …It is good that the Filipino people has awakened !
It makes me wonder if making/inventing “false narratives” is a formula these people have been using all along. So many stories against Marcos and Imelda were being whispered back then that were never verified or was proven to be false altogether. Is false propaganda an old weapon from the LP arsenal?
It’s simply like this Ms Winnie:
Act 1: “Bikoy” was tasked to fabricate false accusations against PRRD to oust him from office.
Act 2: “Bikoy” outed those who commissioned him to make the Act 1!
Since there is no substantial evidence found in fabricated accusations in Act 1, where it was only done solely to create disorder, then Act 2 is necessary to be taken more seriously than Act 1 as in to ” wholly swallow the hook, line and sinker” in order to catch those behind that evil Act 1 so they couldn’t do it again.
Monsod and Rina Jimenez David (in the other article) appear so desperate they remind me of a character in an indie game, which demands the player to spend with her before screaming, PLAY WITH ME!!! Looking at the video of scene to see what said character looked like right after screaming appropriately encapsulates the Philippines’s yellow crowd.
This principle is old, but true as fate, Kings may love treason, but the traitor hate.
“The “Bikoy” videos offer no bases for police action. But Advincula’s more recent sworn statements, on the other hand, do.”
It’s disgusting the way the so-called intellectual opposition blatantly try to manipulate the public like this. It’s even more disgusting the way they turn-around and act like the morally and intellectually superior party when PRRD so much as say a foul word.
Ahhhh- Solita Monsod… the yellow first line of defense.