Palace dismisses latest ‘Bikoy’ video as rehash

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Monday dismissed the latest “Bikoy” video uploaded by confessed whistleblower Peter Joemel Advincula, saying his allegations were a mere “rehash” and that he had no more credibility to speak of.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo maintained that Advincula’s “lies” had been unmasked and that the Palace would leave it to the public to judge this latest vilification effort against President Rodrigo Duterte.

“His current remarks are a rehash of his 2016 scam plan against certain personalities of the previous administration as revealed by Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who saw through his fraud, as validated by Philippine National Police chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde,” Panelo said in a statement.

“Suffice it to say that Mr. Advincula, or alias Bikoy, has been totally discredited as regards his allegations, his questionable character and dubious background,” he added.

Advincula as Bikoy

Advincula, who claimed to be the Bikoy in the “True Narcolist” videos, released the new video on Sunday.

He insisted anew on the alleged involvement of members of the President’s family and their associates in the illegal drug trade, accusations that Mr. Duterte himself had brushed off as black propaganda.

“I am repeating that President Duterte, his family and close and trusted friends are involved in drugs. His war on drugs is fake. I swear to God and to the people that what I’ve revealed is true. I have no connections to those they are linking to me,” Advincula said in the new video.

Sought for comment, Panelo asked why some media outfits were still reporting on Advincula’s allegations.

“It is amusing that some media outfits are still providing media attention to Advincula,” Panelo said.

He repeated the President’s claim that opposition Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV had conspired with the Liberal Party, the Magdalo group, some lawyers and journalists to produce the videos and discredit the Duterte administration.

The Palace maintained that “like all lies, the sinister online videos have been stripped of its falsity and laid bare to the public its odiousness.”

“As we have previously stated, the fraud has been undressed naked and the perpetrators unmasked. We leave to our countrymen their judgment on this attempt at vilification and outright travesty,” Panelo said.

On Monday, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) said it would find out who among its members allowed Advincula to hold a news conference at the IBP headquarters in Pasig City on May 6.

IBP investigation

Domingo Cayosa, the incoming IBP national president, said the lawyers’ organization would also try to determine if those responsible violated IBP rules.

“I asked for and the IBP board of governors agreed to promptly conduct a formal investigation” of Advincula’s press conference,” Cayosa said.

“Be assured that we will responsibly do our job as elected leaders of the organization and safeguard the interests and integrity of the IBP,” he added.

Advincula, 30, surfaced at the IBP’s Rizal Hall and claimed that he had made the videos to show that the President’s family and associates benefited from the narcotics trade.

Advincula has since gone into hiding after two courts in La Trinidad, Benguet, and Baguio City issued warrants for his arrest for estafa and large-scale illegal recruitment.

IBP national president Abdiel Fajardo, who was present during Advincula’s press conference, claimed he and other officials were taken by surprise by the whistleblower’s appearance in the IBP office.

Shortly before the press conference, Fajardo told reporters that a group of nuns had referred Advincula to the IBP for possible legal assistance. —With a report from Dona Z. Pazzibugan