BROTHER’S KEEPER Joseph Advincula sits with his more famous brother Peter Joemel or “Bikoy.” —PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSEPH ADVINCULA
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police has activated tracker teams to determine the whereabouts of at least four people, including Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, who have been charged of conspiring to commit sedition by producing the “Bikoy” videos linking President Duterte to the drug trade.
Teams from the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group are continuously monitoring the whereabouts of Trillanes, Peter Joemel Advincula, who goes by the alias “Bikoy,” former Tourism Undersecretary Vicente Romano III and former police official Eduardo Acierto, said PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac.
Banac said the four suspects have not posted bail after Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court Judge Kristine Grace Suarez of Branch 138 issued warrants for their arrest along with seven others on Thursday.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said that the judge had set the arraignment of the 11 suspects on March 17. DOJ prosecutors, led by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Olivia Torrevilla, filed the charges on Monday.
Post bail
Five of the 11 — advertising agency executive Yolanda Ong, priests Albert Alejo and Flaviano Villanueva, Vice President Leni Robredo’s former communications aide Boom Enriquez and Joel Saracho — have each posted the P10,000 bail for their provisional liberty and were no longer subject to arrest.
Banac made no mention of two other people — Jonnel Sangalang and a certain “Monique”— who were also included in the arrest order.
11 indicted
The 11 were indicted for conspiracy to commit sedition after they supposedly took part in the production of videos that claimed Mr. Duterte, members of his family and close allies were involved in the illegal drug trade.
In an interview aired Sunday over radio station dzBB, Banac said Trillanes was abroad and expected to return within the week while Advincula had not fled the country.
“According to police operatives who served the arrest warrant at his (Trillanes) last known address, he is in abroad which was confirmed by his pronouncement. So we will wait for his return and we anticipate that he will face the charge against him,” Banac said.
He said that the case against Trillanes and his coaccused was bailable so there was no need to seek Interpol help for the senator or any of the other respondents who might be hiding in other countries but he urged the accused to surrender to the police so thay could face the charge against them.