THE Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) on Thursday filed criminal charges against several prominent political figures, including Vice President Leni Robredo as well as some lawyers and clergymen, for conniving to discredit and destabilize the Duterte administration.
In the letter-complaint, the PNP-CIDG recommended that the respondents be prosecuted for inciting to sedition, cyber libel, libel estafa, harboring a criminal and obstruction of justice.
Included among the respondents and named as witness is Peter Joemel Advincula, the confessed “Bikoy”, the hooded man in the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos which tagged some family members of President Duterte in illegal drug activities.
Aside from Robredo, named as respondents are Senators Ana Theresa Hontiveros-Baraquel and Leila M. De Lima, former senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV, “Otso Diretso” candidates Gary C. Alejano, Florin T. Hilbay, Romulo B. Macalintal, Jose Manuel I. Diokno, Paolo Benigno A. Aquino, Samira Gutoc-Tomawis, and Lorenzo R. Tañada III;
Archbishops Pablo S. Virgilio S. David and Socrates B. Villegas, Bishop Teodoro C. Bacani and Honesto F. Ongtioco, Bro. Armin Luistro, and clergy members Robert Reyes and Albert E. Alejo.
Also named respondents were former Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) president Abdiel Dan Elijah S. Fajardo, incumbent IBP President Egon Q. Cayosa, lawyers Minerva Ambrosio, Theodore O. Te, Serafin Salvador and Philip Sawali.
The PNP-CIDG submitted the sworn statement of Advincula detailing his supposed meetings with the respondents and how they planned the so-called “Project Sodoma.”
Project Sodoma allegedly sought to publicly discredit the President and destabilize his government by implicating him, his family, and other government officials in drug syndicates.
The project suposedly planned as early as August 2018 was also intended allegedly to derail the senatorial bid of the candidates under the Hugpong Pagbabgo in the last election and at the same time prop up those from the opposition Otso Diretso .
PNP noted in the letter-complaint that the harboring of criminal/obstruction of justice complaint was committed in the Jesuit Communication Building, Philippine Province Society of Jesus, Ateneo de Manila University compound, among other places.
Advincula first surfaced at the office of the IBP in May 6 to ask for legal assistance to file charges against members of the syndicate he formerly belonged to.
However, he surrendered to the PNP later that month over estafa charges and tagged the Liberal Party to be behind “Project Sodoma.”
In a statement, the Department of Justice said Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra will form a panel of state prosecutors to conduct a preliminary investigation on the complaint.