Press Release
May 31, 2019

'Bikoy' exposé reminds De Lima of fabricated charges vs her

Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has found a silver lining in the so-called exposé propelled by Peter Joemel Advincula a.k.a 'Bikoy' in relation to her own ordeal because it proved how sinister forces can easily concoct lies to vilify an innocent person like her.

De Lima, the first political prisoner under the Duterte regime, however, clarified that she does need a criminal character like Advincula to attest to her innocence over trumped-up illegal drug trading charges filed against her by the Duterte administration.

"As one grievously wronged by fake charges, I see a silver lining in this whole 'Bikoy' issue vis-à-vis my own ordeal. Ipinapakita nito na sadya ngang madaling mag-imbento ng mga akusasyon, at sadya ngang may mga taong sobrang galing magsinungaling," she said in her recent Dispatch from Crame No. 526.

"The recent surfacing of a Dec. 2016 affidavit of ['B]ikoy', as disclosed by Sotto, purporting to implicate me, PNoy and some other PNoy cabinet officials in the illegal drug trade, which 'Bikoy' in his presscon the other day branded as another 'gawa-gawa,' simply confirms what I already know: That [i]n 2016, there was a concerted effort by pro-Duterte forces to forcely link me to the illegal drug trade," she added.

Advincula, the man behind the series of controversial videos "Ang Totoong Narcolist," previously claimed that the President, his immediate family, and close allies have links to the continued proliferation of illegal drug trade in the country.

He later recanted his accusation against Duterte's family members and allies and claimed that he was only lured by the united opposition to lie and implicate Mr. Duterte to discredit his administration.

Advincula also admitted that his drug allegations against De Lima and then President Benigno Aquino in 2016 were also fabricated and directed by people in the Bureau of Corrections who have personal grudges against the lady senator from Bicol.

"'Bikoy''s claim that he or his testimony was meant to be the "finale" in the circus of lies assembled against me may or may not be true. One definite truth, however, came from 'Bikoy's mouth during his recent PNP presscon: that essentially, certain forces were at work in 2016 fabricating charges against me," said the former justice secretary.

Recently, Senate President Vicente Sotto III disclosed that Advincula was the same person who tagged De Lima and other officials from the Aquino administration to illegal drug activities in 2016.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, on his part, revealed that around five to six ranking police officials served as Advincula's handlers during that time.

De Lima said the information disclosed by her colleagues about Advincula only affirmed her innocence over bogus drug charges, noting that their disclosures have "lent credence to the scenario of 'Bikoy''s potential use then as another perjured witness against me."

"Examining closely the contents of this purported Dec. 2016 affidavit, I was obviously the main target. Yes, PNoy and 3 of my former colleagues in the Cabinet were also mentioned, but it was my name that prominently figured in that elaborate web of lies," she said.

"There you have it. There are more factual information, mostly from credible sources, that demonstrate beyond cavil that the 3 criminal cases, "People vs. de Lima, et al.," for Conspiracy to Commit Illegal Drug Trading, are a product of a grand conspiracy of lies in order to fulfil Duterte's 'Destroy de Lima' edict. These cases are an absolute sham," she added.

De Lima, the staunchest critic of the administration's murderous war on drugs, has been illegally detained since Feb. 24, 2017 on bizarre charges that were all based primarily on perjured testimonies of convicted criminals and manufactured evidence.

News Latest News Feed