By Martin Sadongdong
The Philippine National Police (PNP) remained skeptical but expressed willingness to validate the identity of the man who introduced himself Monday as "Bikoy," the mysterious figure behind a five-part video series which tagged President Duterte's family and close allies in the illegal drug trade.
PNP spokesman P/Col. Bernard Banac
(PNP / MANILA BULLETIN)
Police Colonel Bernard Banac, PNP spokesperson, said that they could not take Peter Joemel Advincula's claims "at a surface level" since he offered no clear proof when he finally revealed himself at the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) in Ortigas, Pasig City.
"If at all, the person who surfaced today is the authentic 'Bikoy' who is the subject of an ongoing investigation, good for him because he just spared himself the trouble of having to hide behind the cloak of anonymity any further and allowed the opportunity substantiate his serious accusations and convince the Filipino people that he is worth listening to," Banac said.
"Otherwise, he is just wasting our time with his fantastic tale. At any rate, he still has a lot of explaining to do for his actions and the real motive behind it," he added.
Bikoy grabbed headlines last month after "Ang Totoong Narcolist," a five-part series showing alleged proof of the Duterte family and allies' connection to the drug trade, surfaced online.
In his face reveal Monday afternoon, Advincula insisted that the family and close allies of Duterte were into the drug trade.
He also denied ties to the journalists and lawyer's group which were included in the matrix released by the Palace two weeks ago.
Advincula also said he had no ties with the Liberal Party (LP).
Advincula surfacing came after the arrest of Rodel Jayme, a self-confessed creator of the website where the videos were uploaded.
Earlier, Jayme linked an LP-supporter as among those linked in the proliferation of the Bikoy videos.
However, the PNP said Advincula needs to provide evidence about his claims, including his being the real Bikoy, or all of his statements will remain founded on baseless allegations.
"We will ascertain his identity based on evidence, and if he is willing, he may come over either to the NBI or the PNP," Banac said.
Read more: ‘Bikoy’ surfaces, seeks IBP’s help