MANILA - (UPDATE) A man who claimed to be the hooded figure in a series of viral anti-Duterte videos has denied making the same accusations against the Aquino administration in 2016.
In a video posted Sunday, Peter Joemel Advincula, also known as Bikoy, denied the allegations hurled against him by Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
Sotto on Wednesday said his aide in December 2016 secured a sworn statement from Advincula who claimed that then President Benigno Aquino III, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Justice Secretary Leila De Lima were "patrons" of the "Quadrangle" drug syndicate.
Advincula said it was not his signature on the sworn affidavit Sotto claimed was his.
"Unang una, hindi po sa akin ang pirmang ipinakita. Ang layo layo po sa tunay kong pirma. Ni hindi nga notarized ang dokumento, kaya paano ko masasabi na 'yun ay isang sworn affidavit," he said.
(First of all, the signature shown is not mine. It is far from my actual signature. The document is not even notarized, so how can I say it is a sworn affidavit.)
He also denied asking for help to be released from prison early. According to Advincula, he was set to be released in April 2017, merely four months away from when he supposedly wrote the sworn statement in December 2016.
"Alam ko na po kung ano ang taong nakatakda ng aking paglaya. Ito po ay noong Abril 23, 2017. Apat na buwan na lang. Bakit pa ako aapela sa kaniya? Matapos ang limang taon na pinagbayaran ko ang aking mga kasalanan, gusto ko lang magbagong buhay," he said.
(I already knew when I would be released from prison, and that was on April 23, 2017. I only have four months left, why would I ask help from him? After five years in prison, I only want to start fresh.)
According to Advincula, Sotto's aide visited him on October 2016, asking him to validate the documents they have.
He also denied offering to be a state witness against De Lima.
"Mula Oktubre hanggang Nobyembre 2016, ilang beses ako binibisita ng mga matataas na opisyal ng Philippine National Police," Advincula said.
(From October to Novermber 2016, I was visited several times by high-ranking officers of the Philippine National Police.)
"At marahil, ito ang ginamit para gumawa ng mga salaysay na ipinasa kay Senator Sotto. 'Yan lang ang maaaring pinanggalingan ng gawa gawang listahan," he added.
(Perhaps, this is what they used to create the statement submitted to Senator Sotto. That's the only possible source of the made-up list.)
Advincula said he is not surprised with all the accusations hurled against him since he is going against powerful people.
"Hindi na ako nagulat sa sunod-sunod na paninira na ginagawa at gagawin pa sa akin. Malalaking tao ang aking binabangga at maraming banta sa akin," he said.
(I was not suprised with all the allegations hurled and will be hurled against me. I am going against powerful people, and there are many threats against me.)
Bikoy, in the "Totoong Narco-list" videos, claimed drug payoffs were deposited to the supposed bank accounts of the President's son former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, his son-in-law Atty. Manases Carpio, and former aide Christopher Go.
The younger Duterte and Go, who is running for senator, allegedly had dragon tattoos allegedly bearing an alphanumeric code used for drug transactions.
Following Advincula's surfacing, Go bared his back to the media anew to show that he has no tattoos. Paolo, meanwhile, challenged Advincula to file charges.
Advincula challenged Go to go to a tattoo removal expert to prove that he does not have a tattoo on his back.
"Hinahamon ko po si Bong Go na ipasuri sa tattoo removal expert sa harap ng publiko ang kaniyang likod para magkaalaman kung hindi siya talaga nagpatanggal ng tattoo," he said.
(I dare Bong Go to go to a tattoo removal expert in front of the public so they'll know if he really did not have his tattoo removed.)
PANELO: 'BIKOY HAS BEEN TOTALLY DISCREDITED'
Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo maintained Advincula's claims has been discredited due to his "questionable" character.
He also blasted Advincula for "rehashing" his 2016 scam plan.
"His current remarks are a rehash of his 2016 scam plan against certain personalities of the previous administration as revealed by Senate President Vicente 'Tito' Sotto who saw through his fraud as validated by the PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde," Panelo said.
According to Panelo, it is up to the people whether they would believe Advincula's allegations.
"As we have previously stated the fraud has been undressed naked and the perpetrators unmasked. We leave to our countrymen their judgment on this attempt at vilification and outright travesty," he said.
Peter Joemel Advincula, Bikoy, narcolist, Rodrigo Duterte, Bong Go, Paolo Duterte, Vicente Sotto III