NBI arrests ‘Bikoy’
The man allegedly behind the controversial video “Bikoy” was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Tuesday, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra confirmed on Wednesday.
Bikoy was the name adopted by a hooded man who uploaded videos linking members of the Duterte family to the illegal drug trade.
Guevarra said the NBI’s Cybercrime Division arrested the man behind the Bikoy videos.
“I can confirm that a search warrant was served by the NBI Cybercrime Division,“ the Justice chief said.
He said the arrest was made after NBI operatives discovered pieces of evidence linking the person to the videos.
Guevarra refused to give more details, including the identity of the man arrested.
“The operation was made in coordination with the Department of Justice Cybercrime office,” he said.
The Justice department and the NBI quietly started the investigation of the source[s] of the so-called “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos last week.
In the videos, a hooded man who hid behind the name Bikoy claimed that he was a former member of a drug syndicate. He alleged that Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and some members of President Rodrigo Duterte’s family were involved in the operations of an illegal drug syndicate called the “Davao Group.”
Bikoy accused Go, presidential son Paolo Duterte and Veronica, the President’s daughter with partner Honeylet Avanceña, and Manases Carpio, husband of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, of receiving millions of pesos from the drug ring.
In the fifth episode of the video series uploaded late April, Bikoy said a drug syndicate working in Bicol, which he called the “Quadrangle Group,” consisted of former politicians and businessmen.
He claimed the leader of the Quadrangle Group was Albay businessman and Misibis Bay resort owner Elizaldy Co.
He also identified other members of the group — Victor Lorenzo Rosales, who is in jail; Albay Rep. Fernando Gonzalez; Camarines Norte Gov. Edgardo Tallado; former Camarines Sur congressman and governor Luis Villafuerte; Catanduanes Gov. Joseph Cua; Sorsogon Senior Provincial Board Member Krunimar Escudero; Naga businessman Thomas Enrile; and multilevel marketing franchise owner Tess Rañola.
Bikoy was tagged as the source of the Oust Duterte matrix released by the Office of the President to The Manila Times’ Chairman Emeritus, Dr. Dante A. Ang.
The matrix named the journalists and organizations allegedly involved in the reported plot to blacken the image of the President.
WITH CATHERINE A. MODESTO
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