Facebook, Google face House probe for Bikoy videos

MANILA, Philippines — Social media platforms Facebook and Google are facing an investigation by the House of Representatives in connection with the so-called Bikoy videos.

Resolution No. 2585, filed yesterday by Reps. Alfredo Garbin Jr., Christopher Co and Ronald Ang of party-list group Ako Bicol, prompted the inquiry.

Though the resolution calls for the probe to be conducted by the committee on information and communications technology, Garbin said he has suggested to the committee on public accounts to include the measure in its agenda for its hearing next week and to invite Facebook and Google representatives.

Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, Garbin’s boss in the minority bloc, chairs the public accounts committee.

In their resolution, Garbin, Co and Ang said Peter Joemel Advincula, also known as Bikoy, started uploading last April 2 a series of videos titled “Ang Totong Narcolist,” implicating members of President Duterte’s family and some businessmen in the illegal drug trade.

“The video series had been publicly viewed, shared and uploaded multiple times on Facebook and Google’s YouTube. The series not only discredits and maligns the good name, honor and reputation of the individuals named therein, but also ascribe to them active membership, nay, leadership in a drug syndicate and worse, the alleged commission of a heinous crime – that of involvement in the illegal drug business,” they said.

Garbon said a “takedown clause” could be included in the law governing social media content.

Detained Sen. Leila de Lima, on the other hand, stood behind Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV against accusations he conspired with the opposition to fan out the controversial “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos.

De Lima criticized the Duterte government for embracing a double standard on the issue involving the so-called exposé propelled by Bikoy.

“After Bikoy made the turnaround in accusing the opposition, the administration is now using it to destroy the opposition and critics,” she added.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, for his part, agreed with observations that Advincula is a con man.

“It’s too good to be true. The narco lists he was claiming were rehashed from the previous one... and now he is accusing the other side. How can you believe this guy who will just change his mind or change direction midway,” Lorenzana said.

Lorenzana stressed the national security establishment has not monitored any plot to destabilize the administration.

He described the two destabilization matrices presented to the media by presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo earlier this month as “kuryente,” or a false report.

“It looks like it was meant to ‘kuryente’ some people. There might be a true matrix but other personalities were added into it, in a hope that people will believe in it even if it’s false,” Lorenzana said.

Malacañang said there is nothing inconsistent between President Duterte’s claim that there is a conspiracy to unseat him and Lorenzana’s statements. – With Alexis Romero, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Jaime Laude