MANILA, Philippines — Peter Joemel Advincula, said to be the “Bikoy” in the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos, posted bail on Monday on the Justice department’s conspiracy to commit sedition case against him.
Advincula went to Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 138 to post a bail bond of P10,000 for his temporary liberty. The court then recalled the arrest warrant issued last week.
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He was assisted by lawyer Larry Gadon.
Advincula, former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and nine others are facing a Conspiracy to Commit Sedition charge, which stemmed from a complaint filed by the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.
The complaint drew largely from Advincula’s testimony, where he accused Trillanes and members of the opposition, including Vice President Leni Robredo, of conspiring to bring down the government through the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” video series.
Advincula, a convicted swindler, claimed to be “Bikoy,” the hooded figure in the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos in two press conferences held in vastly different circumstances.
Trillanes, who is out of the country, said he will return to Manila later this week to face the case and to post bail.
State witness?
In a message to reporters, Gadon said that Advincula is willing to be state witness but not under the Justice department’s Witness Protection Program.
“He does not want to be under WPP because it is very restricted,” Gadon said in Filipino.
State prosecutors last week said they “will think” about whether Advincula will be their state witness in their case.
Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Olivia Laroza-Torrevillas said that Advincula may be the witness of the CIDG in their complaint but “the prosecution is not precluded from utilizing other witnesses, other evidence when [we] already reach the court.”