PNP chief warns ‘Bikoy’ of cyberlibel

Screen shot of a video circulated online

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Oscar Albayalde on Monday warned “Bikoy” — the hooded man behind the supposed exposé linking several personalities into drugs — of being liable for cyberlibel if he cannot support his accusations with proof.

Albayalde said that instead of resorting to using social media, Bikoy should present evidence to authorities that will prove the alleged involvement of President Rodrigo Duterte’s close relatives and allies to a drug syndicate.

According to Albayalde, the PNP is willing to file criminal charges against the persons mentioned by Bikoy, a supposed former member of the syndicate, in the series of videos circulating in social media.

“Kung hindi naman, he will be made liable doon sa lahat ng mga sinasabi din niya (If not, he will be made liable for all those that he said),” said Albayalde in a chance interview at Camp Crame.

“There’s cyberlibel ngayon (now). That’s part of the anti-cybercrime law,” he said.

The PNP chief, however, cannot confirm whether Bikoy is being used for political agenda, but said that the videos “might be a part of a propaganda this upcoming midterm elections.”

Anybody can accuse anyone in social media anyway, he said.

“We have to be responsible citizens lalo na ‘yung naglalabas ng ganyang accusations sa social media. We have the anti-cybercrime law. Hindi ka basta-basta pwedeng magsabi ng libelous sa mga tao,” Albayalde added.

(We have to be responsible citizens, especially if you have those kinds of accusations in social media. We have the anti-cybercrime law. You cannot easily say anything libelous to other people.) /je

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