THE Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) confirmed last week the court issued a warrant of arrest against Peter Joemel Advincula alias “Bikoy.”
BCPO Chief Police Colonel Allen Rae Co told SunStar Baguio of an existing warrant of arrest issued by Judge Leody Opolinto on January 2013.
“We scanned our files and coordinated with concern agencies for the arrest of Peter Joemel Advincula,” he said. “There were several cases filed against Advincula who is now identified as 'Bikoy'.”
Co added a case was previously filed against him with warrant of arrest issued for illegal recruitment committed in large scale by a syndicate and was dismissed on 2009.
Co added continuous efforts will be made to find any cases against Advincula.
“Now that we have scanned his files we will serve it at the most of opportune time,” he added.
Earlier, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has activated its operation to arrest Advincula and has already secured a copy of the standing arrest warrant issued by the La Trinidad Municipal Trial Court in September 2007 over charges of estafa.
The court recommended bail of P6, 000.
Based on the arrest warrant, Advincula has been using several names such as Richard Benedict Santos, John Rafael Benedict Ramos, RB Santos and Archangel De Leon.
Advincula surfaced on Monday, May 6, and claimed that he is “Bikoy” in the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos that were circulated on social media.
He sought legal assistance from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, which later turned down his request.
In the series of videos, “Bikoy” tagged presidential son Paolo Duterte, his brother-in-law Maneses Carpio and former special assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go as part of a drug syndicate.
Advincula's claims were put to question after authorities discovered that he was convicted of syndicated estafa.
In a press conference, Senate President Vicente Sotto revealed that Advincula approached him in 2016 and asked for his assistance to expose government officials including then President Benigno Aquino III.
He said he turned down Advincula because of his “undelievable claims.”
Senator Panfilo Lacson, who earlier scheduled a Senate inquiry on Bikoy’s claims, cancelled the hearing saying that it was “nonsense.” (With a report from Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/SunStar Philippines)