Updated 7:35 p.m.)
MANILA, Philippines — The man who claimed to be “Bikoy” also linked former President Benigno Aquino III and other former government officials to illegal drug activities in 2016, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said Wednesday.
Speaking at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay, Sotto said that one of his political officers informed him that the Peter Joemel Advincula, who surfaced and identified himself as “Bikoy” in a press conference at the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) on Monday, was the same person who reached out to his office in 2016 and asked for help.
In an audio-visual presentation, Sotto showed a list provided by Advincula in a sworn affidavit where he linked Aquino, former Interior secretary Mar Roxas and former Justice secretary Leila de Lima to a purported drug syndicate.
“Doon sa sinumpaang salaysay niya (Advincula) nung 2016, meron siyang tinatawag na mga patron. Ito yung mga bigshot. Ito yung nasa ibabaw ng drug syndicate according to his description in his affidavit,” Sotto said.
“Dun sa mga patron na sinasabi sa listahan, may mga code-code pa siya…Elizalde Co, former President Benigno Aquino, former DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) Secretary Mar Roxas, former DOJ (Department of Justice) Secretary Leila de Lima, Teresita Raniola, Congressman Fernando Gonzales, Congressman Luis Villafuerte at Thomas Enrile..ito ‘yung mga patron ng Quadrangle Syndicate,” he added.
Advincula, who surfaced at a press conference at the Integrated Bar of the Philippines office, claims to be the “Bikoy” in a video series called “Ang Totoong Narcolist,” which links the family members of President Rodrigo Duterte to the drug trade.
“I-kumpara ninyo ito (sworn affidavit) ngayon sa statement niya ng May 6, 2019. Mayroon din sýang binabanggit ng patron, patriarch and others,” Sotto said.
“Sa patron, nabago na ang sinasabi n’ya patron or Tausug Davao Group daw, Paolo Duterte, Veronica Salvador, na representing daw Honey Let and her daughter, Christopher Bong Go, and Maneses Carpio,” he pointed out.
Sotto said Advincula, who was detained at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City at the time, reached out to his office through his staff member Hutch Altavas.
READ: Sotto to ‘Bikoy:’ Give us proof to spur Senate probe
“Ang sabi niya (Altavaz), yan (Advincula) ‘yung pinapuntahan mo sa akin sa Muntinlupa (New Bilibid Prison) some years ago…’ Pinagusapan namin ‘Natatandaan mo ba yung pinadala niya sating mga sulat na humihingi ng tulong. ‘Yes, Sir I have everything,’ sabi niya (Altavaz). Buti naitabi niya,” Sotto narrated.
“So confirmed, 100 percent siya yung pinuntahan ni (Altavaz) at siya yung kausap. Pagbalik sakin ni (Altavaz) in 2016, and we pieced this together already. [May] affidavit na ginawa si Peter Joemel Advincula… dito sa sinumpaang salaysay niya… makikita ninyo yung pagkahawig doon sa Bikoy series at saka doon sa statement niya dun sa IBP,” he added.
Bank accounts
In the six-page sworn affidavit Sotto released to media during the press forum, Advincula noted that Aquino and other government officials during his administration were “patrons” of the “Quadrangle Syndicate.”
These partons allegedly receive more or less 30 million yuan paid through monthly bank deposits to their supposed mother and individual bank accounts.
“Binigyan ako ng ganito karaming bank account transfer na mga HSBC raw (I was supposed to have received these many bank transfers from HSBC),” Sotto said gesturing to multiple pages of bank account transfers given to him by Advincula in 2016.
“Isang account lang ang binigay ko sa HSBC, pinatatanong ko lang kung tama ito ang sagot ng HSBC samin noon ni hindi daw ganyan ang numbering at lettering nila ng mga bank account nila kaya imposible raw yun,” he added.
The Senate President described as “incredible” the claims made by Advincula in his sworn affidavit.
“Unang una incredible yung mga kwento eh. Like for example, I cannot imagine Pres. Noynoy Aquino going to that underground safehouse in Misibis with Sec. Roxas and Sec. De Lima and exchanging money, exchanging shabu,” he said.
“I cannot imagine that happening. So sabi ko, parang napakahirap paniwalaan ang kwento nito. So the first thing I did was check the bank account. Pina check namin sa HSBC eh,” Sotto further explained. /cbb
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