Anti-Duterte whistleblower held, questioned over death of 3 in Albay

Peter Joemel Advincula

LEGAZPI CITY — Peter Joemel “Bikoy” Advincula, the infamous whistleblower who linked the children of President Duterte to narcopolitics, was held and questioned by the police in Albay province on Friday over the death of three persons inside his store in Daraga town.

Daraga police chief Lt. Col. Bogard Arao said Advincula was detained after a municipal councilor of Donsol town in Sorsogon province and two others were found dead on Friday morning inside his “ukay-ukay” (used clothings) store at the town proper of Daraga.

Police have identified the victims as Councilor Helen Garay, 53; Kareen Averilla, 44; and Xavier Mirasol, 61, all residents of Donsol. Garay was running for the vice mayoral post in Donsol while Averilla and Mirasol were candidates for town councilors under the United Nationalist Alliance, police said.

Infamy

Arao said police investigators had established that Advincula did not only own the store but had brought the victims to the establishment where they died, which made him a primary suspect in the killings.

Advincula previously gained infamy over his video “Ang Totoong Narcolist” linking the Duterte children to the narcotics trade, which he later recanted.

Police said a companion of the victims, Lalaine Herrera, reported to the police at 11 p.m. on Thursday that her three colleagues went missing following a meeting with Advincula in connection with a scheduled Bongbong Marcos Movement campaign, in which the group were supposed to be made political coordinators.

Arao said Advincula called the police around 12 a.m. of Friday to report that there were three bodies inside an ukay-ukay store at the CAN Building in Barangay Busay, but did not disclose that he owned the store.

Something was wrong

Police immediately responded and found the cadavers. The remains of the victims were taken out of the store at already past 8 a.m. on Friday after personnel from the Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) processed the site.

Authorities said the Soco had yet to release the findings on what caused the death of the victims. Herrera has told the police that after their meeting with Advincula, the latter invited the four of them to his store. Her companions were the first to leave with Advincula.

She said that when Advincula came back for her to bring her to the store, she sensed something was wrong and when they reached the store she was able to escape and sought refuge in a nearby establishment.

Witnesses have corroborated Herrera’s statement and told the police that Advincula was inside his store before he brought Herrera to the area, according to Arao.