By Jeffrey Damicog

The Department of Justice (DOJ) will hopefully release this January the resolution on the sedition complaint filed against Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo and her co-respondents over their alleged involvement in the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” viral videos which is believed to be part of a destabilization plot against President Rodrigo Duterte

“Baka sa January na (It might be released by January),” Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said on Friday, December 20.

“We have so much on our plate. May ‘ninja cops’ pa (There is also the ninja cops case),” he explained as he referred to the case concerning the case involving the policemen involved in the questionable 2013 anti-illegal drugs operations in Mexico, Pampanga.

Previously, the Secretary said the resolution of the sedition case might come out this December.

It has already been three months since the DOJ panel of prosecutors chaired by Senior Assistant State Prosecutors Olivia Torrevillas concluded last September 12 the preliminary investigation of the complaint which it begun back in August 9.

The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) filed the complaint before the DOJ in July 18 based on the testimonies of Peter Joemel Advincula who admitted being the hooded “Bikoy” in the viral videos.

Advincula is also named as a respondent in the complaint.

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

In its complaint, the PNP-CIDG accused 36 respondents of having committed sedition, inciting to sedition, cyber libel, libel, estafa, harboring a criminal, and obstruction of justice.

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

Aside from Robredo and Advincula, the respondents named in the complaint include Senators Ana Theresia “Risa” Hontiveros and Leila de Lima as well as former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

The opposition’s losing “Otso Diretso” 2019 senatorial candidates were also named as respondents, namely, former Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano, former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, Robredo’s election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, former Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, former Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tanada III, and Samira Gutoc-Tomawis.