Is ‘Bikoy’ a decoy to divert public attention? Zarate thinks so 

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate during a news forum at Annabel’s restaurant in Quezon City. INQUIRER.net photo / Katrina Hallare

MANILA, Philippines — Peter Joemel Advincula alias “Bikoy” may be a decoy to divert the public’s attention from real issues, Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate said on Saturday.

“Ang problema kasi dito sa ‘Bikoy’ na ito ay [he] could be a decoy para di na pag-usapan yung mga important issues,” Zarate said in a media forum in Quezon City.

“For example, ang daming problema nung election na dapat sagutin,” he added. “Pero the timing na lumabas siya, nung pinag-uusapan natin na may problema nung election, na-divert na tuloy yung attention ng mamamayan.”

Zarate went on: “[D]apat naka-focus tayo sa mga main issues of the day. Itong naging epekto nitong eleksyon, anong nangyari noong eleksyon, ang pag-kontrol ngayon ng administration sa both chambers of the House at yung nananataling ‘atmosphere of fear.’”

“There should be righteous courage from our people to seek accountability and time to say na tama na ito, ‘enough is enough,’” he encouraged.

Advincula earlier came out and tagged the opposition as the brains behind the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos.

READ: ‘Bikoy’ says claims in narco videos are lies, tags LP, Trillanes

The videos previously claimed that allies and relatives of President Rodrigo Duterte were part of the illegal drug trade. (Editor: Jonathan P. Vicente)