By Vanne Elaine Terrarzola
Senator Panfilo Lacson on Friday called on the Philippine National Police (PNP) to investigate the alleged links of some police officials with Peter Joemel Advincula, the man who claimed to be “Bikoy” in the video series that implicated the family and allies of President Duterte in the illegal drug trade.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson
(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN)
Lacson issued the appeal after he revealed that senior police officials worked with Advincula two years ago.
"Now that the PNP has confirmed my information on Bikoy’s contact with some senior PNP officials back in 2016, they must investigate further to determine the details of his engagement," the former PNP chief posted on Twitter.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III, however, said he was the same person who, in 2016, implicated former President Benigno Aquino III and several officials in the previous administration also in narcotics.
In a press conference Friday, Lacson bared receiving information that ranking police officials worked with Advincula.
"Based on the information I gathered, he was working with some PNP personnel who were still active at the time," he told reporters during the regular Kapihan sa Senado Thursday.
"I was given names of police officers who were working with him at the time kaya lumabas noong (that's why it came out in) 2016. Ang target noon sina ex-President PNoy, Mar Roxas, Jojo Ochoa, ang mga personalities ng nakaraang administration (They targeted ex-Pres. Aquino, former Interior Sec. Mar Roxas, former Executive Secretary Jojo Ochoa, and other personalities in the previous administration)" he added.
Lacson believed that the police officials engaged Advincula to impress the Duterte administration, especially when opposition Senator Leila de Lima was being linked to the illegal drug trafficking at the New Bilibid Prison.
"Siguro (maybe) they wanted to be under the good graces of the new admin at the time because kauupo lang ng Duterte admin (the Duterte administration had just assumed post)...May kultura minsan sa PNP, may mga opisyal diyan na siyempre gusto magpakitang gilas (There's this culture in the PNP, some officials wanted to show off)," the retired police general said.
Lacson, however, said this information still has to be validated by the PNP.
PNP General Oscar Albayalde earlier confirmed that Advincula acted as a confidential informant to at least two law enforcement agencies in exchange of money.
However, he said Advincula gave false intelligence information, including those about drug syndicates called Quadrangle Group and Davao Group that involved politicians and businessmen.