PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief Oscar Albayalde said on Thursday, August 1, that the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) will look into the alleged links of two extortion suspects to the man claiming to be Bikoy.
One of the suspects, Dennis Jose Borbon, 24, claimed to be a blogger with over 300,000 followers and alleged that opposition lawmakers were among those who commissioned his group to wage a black propaganda campaign against the administration.
He named former senators Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino and Antonio Trillanes IV as well as former Magdalo congressman Gary Alejano as his financiers.
“Way back nung election, lumapit sa akin yung chief of staff ni Bam Aquino at pinapatira yung mga kandidato ng (administrasyon nung nakaraang) eleksyon... Nagdedeposito sila ng 20k to 40k, iba pa ang galing kay Congressman Gary Alejano,” Borbon said.
He said he also knows Advincula, who claims to be Bikoy, the hooded man in the series of videos entitled “Ang Totoong Narco-list” which tag Duterte’s family and Go in illegal drugs transactions.
Borbon, a former congressional staff of 1-Ang Edukasyon Party-list, was arrested in an entrapment operation on Wednesday, July 31, along with Edgar Paulo James Bularan for extorting money from several politicians and lawmakers using the name of Camarines Sur representative Arnulf "Arnie" Fuentebella.
Among those victimized by the suspects were Senator Christopher Lawrence Go who, after realizing it was a scam, sent them P1.
“Tinawagan ko siya (suspect). Sabi ko, i-withdraw niya kaagad ang pera. Excited siya. Sabi ko, ibili niya ng ataul, isukat niya ang sarili niya,” Go said.
However, Go said he also found, that the suspects were tapped by the opposition party to run a smear campaign against the administration bets during the 2019 midterm elections.
The CIDG earlier filed charges of sedition, cyberlibel, libel, estafa, harboring a criminal and obstruction of justice against Vice President Ma. Leonor Robredo, Trillanes and several other personalities, whom Advincula claimed were behind the series of videos “Ang Totoong Narco-list.”
Other respondents were the administration’s critics such as former police official Eduardo Acierto, Senators Ana Theresa Hontiveros Baraquel and Leila de Lima, and opposition candidates in the last senatorial elections Alejano, Florin Hilbay, Romulo Macalintal, Jose Manuel Diokno, Samira Gutoc-Tomawis, Aquino and Lorenzo Tañada III.
Also charged were clergy members Fr. Robert Reyes, Fr. Albert E. Alejo, Bro. Armin Luistro, Bishop Honesto F. Ongtico, Bishop Teodoro C Bacani Jr., Archbishop Pablo Virgilio S. David, and Archbishop Socrates Villegas. (SunStar Philippines)