A CRIMINAL complaint of estafa was filed against Peter Joemel Advincula — the man who claims to be “Bikoy,” the man behind the viral “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos — for organizing a beauty pageant and later disappearing without giving the prizes to the winners.

In a three-page complaint, Arven E. Valmores of Ardeur World Marketing said Mr. Advincula used his corporate name and logo for the promotion of the beauty pageant in 2018 without his consent.

Mr. Valmores noted in his complaint that Mr. Advincula did not attend the coronation night and became unreachable after leaving the winners and the production staff unpaid.

“Being nowhere to be found, all the pageants big winners and production staff started to communicate with the complainant and sought redress of the grievances and unpaid prizes and wages,” the complaint read.

Feeling the pressure and the possible negative impact on his business, Mr. Valmores said he was forced to shell out P304,422 to pay the winners and staff.

“Respondent became untraceable and efforts to locate him to answer for his misrepresentation remained until recently where he resurfaced in a press conference at the Integrated Bar of the Philippines offices last May 6, 2019,” the complaint noted.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police said that manhunt for Mr. Advincula has been underway since May 8.

“The manhunt operation is underway to find him and to serve the pending warrants of arrest against Advincula and his cohorts for estafa issued by Judge Leody M. Opolinto of the Municipal Trial Court of La Trinidad, Benguet on Sept 26, 2007, and for Large Scale Illegal Recruitment issued by Regional Trial Court Third Branch of Baguio City on Aug. 10, 2007,” said PNP chief Gen. Oscar D. Albayalde in a statement on Friday.

“It appears that Advincula has been using different names to hide his real identity such as R.B. Santos, John Paul Rafael Benedict Santos, Arcangel de Leon or Archie Santos, Lory Camba, and Jaime Gaupo, Jr.,” he added. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras

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