Updated 4:20 p.m.
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Panfilo Lacson revealed on Thursday that active police officers were behind Peter Joemel Advincula when he tried to link former president Benigno Aquino III to illegal drugs in 2016.
Lacson, former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), made the disclosure after he canceled the scheduled hearing on Friday on the allegations of Advincula, who earlier claimed to be “Bikoy.”
“Bikoy” is the hooded man in “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos accusing President Rodrigo Duterte’s relatives and allies of alleged involvement in the illegal trade.
Lacson said he did not know if the same people, who were behind Advincula in 2016, were the same people behind him now.
“Hindi ko alam kung pareho pero may mga nag-handle sa kanya noon, based on information na mga sabihin ko nang mga active members of the PNP at that time, noong 2016,” he said at the Kapihan sa Senado.
“Pero kung sino nagha-handle sa kanya ngayon if the same people, hindi ko na alam ‘yun but yung information that I gathered he was working with some PNP personnel who were still active at that time,” said the senator.
He said he was given names of police officers who were working with Advincula at that time but said his information was still subject to validation.
Lacson surmised that the active police officers who tapped Advincula targeted Aquino, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and former Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa because they wanted to be “under the good graces” of the Duterte administration.
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III earlier disclosed that Advincula contacted his office through a staff member in 2016.
Advincula even executed a sworn affidavit dated December 2016, linking Aquino and allies to the illegal drug trade.
READ: Man claiming to be ‘Bikoy’ linked Aquino to drugs – Sotto
Lacson said he personally knew some of the police officers who worked with Advincula, maintaining that some of them are still with the PNP.
But he declined to name them.
“Ang initial na iiisip ko is to talk to those people because some of them I know personally. Malliit na grupo lang ito, siguro mga 5-6 police officers,” he said.
Asked if he would castigate them, Lacson said: “Siguro admonish huwag nyo na ulitin yan. Rise on your own merits. Di yung magra-rise kayo at the expense of others at gagawa nang hindi totoo. That’s unfair.”/cbb/ac