DOJ ruling on sedition raps vs Robredo, et al. out Feb. 10

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) will announce on Monday its decision on whether to indict Vice President Leni Robredo and 32 others for sedition based on the claims of former convict Peter Advincula aka “Bikoy.”

The DOJ said it issued the resolution last Friday.

A three-member DOJ prosecution panel led by Assistant State Prosecutor Gino Santiago evaluated the complaint filed last July 18 by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group based solely on Advincula’s sworn statement implicating opposition leaders, lawyers and prelates in a so-called ouster plot.

Using “Bikoy” as alias, Advincula admitted making a series of videos in April last year accusing President Rodrigo Duterte’s family of involvement in the illegal drug trade.

After he was arrested and detained by the police, he recanted and claimed that the opposition had paid him to make the videos.

But the respondents denied knowing Advincula and were elsewhere on the day that Advincula claimed to have met with them.

Also accused were Sen. Leila de Lima, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Antonio Trillanes IV, Bam Aquino, Erin Tañada, Gary Alejano, Archbishop Socrates Villegas; Bishops Honesto Ongtioco, Pablo Virgilio David and Teodoro Bacani Jr.; Integrated Bar of the Philippines president Domingo Cayosa, former IBP president Abdiel Fajardo, Chel Diokno, Romulo Macalintal, Florin Hilbay, Samira Gutoc-Tomawis; Bro. Armin Luistro; Fr. Flaviano Villanueva, Fr. Albert Alejo, Fr. Robert Reyes and Theodore Te.