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Manila court finds ‘Bikoy’ guilty of perjury
A Manila court has sentenced Peter Joemel Advincula, alias Bikoy, to up to a year in jail for perjury for tagging three members of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) in an alleged ouster plot against former President Rodrigo Duterte.
In an 18-page decision, the Manila Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 17 found Advincula guilty beyond reasonable doubt of perjury.
Atty. Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III, one of the complainants, posted portions of the decision on Twitter with the caption, "Bikoy Guilty!"
Advincula was sentenced to suffer imprisonment of three months and one day as a minimum and up to a year and one day as a maximum.
There was no civil liability imposed by the court.
“The prosecution’s evidence primarily sought to establish the elements of the crime of Perjury and not the legal rights of the private complainants that were violated as a result of the criminal act of the accused,” the court said.
The case stemmed from the complaint filed by lawyers Tañada, Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno, and former Supreme Court spokesperson Theodore Te after Advincula tagged them as members of "Project Sodoma,” a supposed anti-Duterte plot.
Advincula claimed that the lawyers met on March 4, 2019 and May 2, 2019 to plot the ouster of the government.
However, Diokno and Tañada testified that they never saw Advincula on March 4 at the Leung Hall in Ateneo where they attended a forum as senatorial candidates.
For his part, Te said he only met Advincula on May 2 to evaluate him as a potential client of FLAG and not due to the alleged Project Sodoma.
Meanwhile, the court said the prosecution was able able to meet the required quantum of proof that Advincula made a deliberate falsehood when he made the claim.
“Accused’s statements do not appear to be an expression of his opinion or a judgment. Accused made them under the pretext that he was present and participated in the meetings,” it said.
“However, as shown by the prosecution, accused was not present at Leung Hall in ADMU… or had contact, albeit briefly, with Atty. Diokno and/or Atty. Tañada during the said date. As for the May 2, 2019 meeting, the prosecution was likewise able to show that the purpose thereof was only for assessment,” it added.—Joahna Lei Casilao/AOL, GMA Integrated News
