Albayalde: Better for ‘Bikoy’ to be state witness in sedition case

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde believes it is better for Peter Joemel Advincula alias “Bikoy” to be covered by the witness protection program (WPP) in the sedition case filed against Vice President Leni Robredo and several opposition personalities.

“That’s his call, ‘yung WPP. Maganda nga ‘yun para mawala na sa poder kung talagang nandoon pa siya sa CIDG [Criminal Investigation and Detection Group], kasi alam ko papunta-punta pa siya sa CIDG,” Albayalde told reporters in a chance interview on Monday.

(That’s his call, the WPP. It would be good so that he will remain continuously at the CIDG, because what I know is he still goes there sometimes.)

“Kung ma-ko-cover siya ng WPP, better siguro, at meron na siyang makukuhang suporta from our government or from the DOJ [Department of Justice],” he said.

(If he will be covered by the WPP, it would be better because he will get support from the government or from the DOJ.)

Advincula, through his counsel Lorenzo “Larry” Gadon filed on Monday before the DOJ the application for him to be a state witness in the complaint filed by the CIDG against Robredo and 35 other personalities, including former and current senators and Catholic bishops.

READ: Sedition case filed vs Robredo, 35 others over ‘Bikoy’ videos

The CIDG filed the case, primarily based on the affidavit of Advincula, that alleged those accused are involved in the publication of the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos that linked the family and some allies of President Rodrigo Duterte with the drug trade.

Advincula himself is a respondent to the complaint filed by the police. /je