Palace: Gov’t to sue ‘Bikoy,’ persons behind narco-videos if they violated laws

Peter Joemel Advincula, who claims to be “Bikoy,” reads his statement at the IBP Multipurpose hall in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines office in Ortigas, Pasig City, on Monday, May 6, 2019. Bikoy is the hooded narrator in the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos recently published online, tagging members of Duterte’s family as well as former Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go as being allegedly involved in the illegal drugs trade. INQUIRER/Edwin Bacasmas

MANILA, Philippines — The government would prosecute persons behind the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos if they violated laws, Malacañang has warned.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo issued the statement after “Bikoy,” the hooded narrator in the videos surfaced Monday at the Integrated Bar of the Philippine (IBP) in Pasig City and identified himself as Peter Joemel Advincula.

READ: ‘Bikoy’ unmasks himself 

“Let’s hear him out, what he’s going to say. Like what we’ve always been saying, the video is a black propaganda against the government,” Panelo said in an interview over CNN Philippines.

Panelo, who is also President Rodrigo Duterte’s chief legal counsel, said he expects concerned government agencies to file charges against the persons behind the videos if proven to be violating the laws.

“We will let the investigators do their job and if they may find any evidence, whoever they arrested has violated [the] law, then they have to prosecute the person,” he said.

A series of videos was recently published online, tagging members of Duterte’s family as well as former Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go as being allegedly involved in the illegal drugs trade. /kga