By Jeffrey Damicog

The perjury case against Peter Joemel Advincula, alias “Bikoy,” will be resolved once the resolution of the sedition case against Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo and her co-respondents is released.

“I am waiting for the resolution of the sedition case,” said Assistant State Prosecutor Ferdinand Fernandez, who conducted the preliminary investigation of the perjury case. “Once the sedition case is released, the perjury case will be resolved.”

Fernandez said the perjury complaint against Advincula is based on allegations that he made false testimonies in the sedition case.

The perjury complaint was filed by three Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) lawyers who were named as Robredo’s co-respondents in the sedition case, namely, former Quezon Rep. Lorenzo “Erin” Tanada, lawyer Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno, and former Supreme Court (SC) spokesman Theodore Te.

The perjury complaint named as respondents Advincula and Police Lt. Col. Arnold Thomas Ibay of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra previously said he was expecting the release of the resolution of the sedition case in January this year.

A Department of Justice (DOJ) panel of prosecutors chaired by Senior Assistant State Prosecutors Olivia Torrevillas concluded last Sept. 12 last year the preliminary investigation of the sedition complaint filed by the PNP-CIDG in July 18, 2019.

Before the panel concluded the preliminary investigation of the sedition case, the three FLAG lawyers filed the perjury complaint on Sept. 6, 2019 for the conduct of a preliminary investigation.

In its complaint, the PNP-CIDG accused Robredo and 35 respondents of having committed sedition, inciting to sedition, cyber libel, libel, estafa, harboring a criminal, and obstruction of justice.

The case stemmed from the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” video series which featured the hooded Bikoy, who accused a number of personalities, including members of the Duterte family, as being involved in illegal drugs activities.

The PNP-CIDG said, citing the testimony of Advincula, he was allegedly engaged by the respondents for a destabilization plot called “Project Sodoma” to “spread lies against the President, his family, and close associates, making them appear as illegal trade protectors and how they earned staggering amounts of money.”

However, the FLAG lawyers pointed out in their complaint that Advincula is “a false witness” and that his sworn testimonies contain “untruthful statements knowingly made against us.”

The FLAG lawyers said despite this, “Ibay nevertheless submitted it as basis of a criminal complaint against us and several others before the DOJ.”