Lawyer asks SC to probe IBP officers involved in Advincula presscon

A LAWYER has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to investigate and hold accountable the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) officers who were involved in allowing Peter Joemel Advincula, self-confessed “Bikoy,” to hold a press conference at the organization’s office last May 6.

In a three-page letter addressed to Chief Justice Lucas P. Bersamin, lawyer Ferdinand S. Topacio said allowing “Bikoy” to be presented in the IBP created an impression that the organization advocates the man’s claims.

“During the said press conference, the IBP logo can be seen at the background, creating the impression that the entire IBP is advocating Advincula’s assertions, which, in reality, cannot be actually said for all its members,” Mr. Topacio said in the letter.

“Much damage has been done to the IBP, as well as to the legal profession in general, hence, the officers responsible for this reprehensible event should be investigated and held accountable,” he said.

Mr. Topacio added that the act of allowing Mr. Advincula’s press conference by IBP National President Abdiel Dan S. Fajardo and chairman Domingo Egon Cayosa is not in line with the objectives and purpose of the IBP.

Mr. Topacio also said despite the statement of IBP that it did not have knowledge that Mr. Advincula will hold a press conference, it is still “difficult to believe” the disclaimer since the function room where the briefing was held appeared to have been set up.

Mr. Advincula on May 6 surfaced and claimed that he is “Bikoy,” the personality featured in a series of videos that tagged members of the First Family to illegal drug activities. He asked the IBP for legal assistance to file charges against members of an alleged drug syndicate that he claims he belonged, and which also included Presidential son and representative-elect Paolo Z. Duterte, senator-elect Christopher “Bong” T. Go, and son-in-law Manases Carpio. Mr. Advincula surrendered to authorities on May 22 over estafa charges and held a press conference at the Philippine National Police on May 23, where he tagged the opposition Liberal Party as behind the videos.

TRILLANES
Meanwhile, Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV on Monday admitted previously meeting Mr. Advincula, but denied anew his involvement in the video and an alleged ouster plot against President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

“First and foremost, I vehemently deny Bikoy’s allegation that I am part of any ouster plot against the Duterte regime,” Mr. Trillanes said in his privilege speech, Monday.

He recalled a meeting in August 2018, during which Mr. Advincula sought protection due to death threats made by a certain drug syndicate.

“Unang inilapit sa’kin itong si Bikoy ng mga pari nu’ng August last year. Ayon sa kanila, ito raw si Bikoy ay humingi sa kanila ng sanctuary dahil s’ya raw ay papatayin ng mga taga sindikato na involved sa illegal drugs (Bikoy was first sent to my office by priests in August last year. According to them, Bikoy is seeking sanctuary due to death threats of drug syndicates),” he said.

He, however, dismissed the meeting after finding inconsistencies in the statements of Mr. Advincula.

Mr. Advincula previously said he met the senator through a certain Fr. Albert Alejo.

“Sometime in February, binalikan ako ng mga pari at binigyan ako ng mga dokumentong naglalaman diumano ng mga detalye ng mga bank accounts ng mga lider ng sindikato. Ayon sa kanila, ang mga ito ay galing sa mga kasamahan ni Bikoy na mga miyembro ng sindikato (Sometime in February, the priests returned to me with the supposed bank account details of leaders of the syndicate, which according to them came from Bikoy’s fellow members in the syndicate),” Mr. Trillanes said.

The senator said he asked “media outfits, investigative journalists” and other “entities both foreign and local” to validate these documents.

“They said that the validation process might take a while but if the account details are accurate, the money trail could be traced. So, as far as those documents are concerned, maaaring totoo pa rin ang existence ng sindikatong ito, depende sa kalalabasan ng validation process later on (these could still be proven real, depending on the result of the validation process later on,” he said. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas and Charmaine A. Tadalan