Man arrested over ‘Bikoy’ series only shared videos —DOJ

The man the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested over the "Bikoy" videos shared the content on his website, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Thursday.

Officials of the Department of Justice (DOJ) earlier said the man, whom Guevarra identified as Rodel Jayme, was the person who uploaded the videos in which one "Bikoy," a supposed former member of a drug syndicate, alleged members of the First Family are involved in or have benefited from the illegal drug trade.

However, it turned out during a press conference held hours after news of the arrest broke that NBI agents found Jayme was the registrant and administrator of the Metro Balita website, which "constantly post[ed] links of the videos."

Armed with a Makati court-issued search warrant, agents searched Jayme's residence last April 30, Guevarra told reporters. He said Jayme turned over his computer, mobile phone, and internet service provider billing statements and voluntarily went to NBI headquarters.

Guevarra said Jayme was eventually arrested on the basis of an NBI forensic report on the devices seized from him, which allegedly shows that the website was indeed registered under his name.

An archived version of "metrobalita.net," the site Guevarra identified, says its objective is to deliver important news and combat false information. Its about page was signed by a "founder" who had the initials "RJ."

Now under NBI custody, Jayme has yet to undergo inquest proceedings. Guevarra said the bureau is finalizing the charges it will file, but said they are considering cyber libel, violation of the anti-child abuse law, and inciting to sedition.

The NBI earlier said it may present the arrested person to the media on Friday.

"Rodel Jayme and Bikoy are not necessarily one and the same person. We don't know as of this time the exact identity of the person named as Bikoy," Guevarra also clarified.

Asked what set Jayme apart from other people who shared the videos, Guevarra said "it appears" the arrested man "was the one who started all of this by creating the website" and added it was "logical" to start with him.

"For now we're focusing on this guy, we're not done with this guy yet," he said when pressed, but added that further investigation might show other people would have to be probed.

Both the Justice chief and NBI cyber crime division chief Victor Lorenzo declined to provide specifics in light of what they said was an ongoing investigation.

In 2014, the Supreme Court declared that online libel is constitutional with respect to the original author of the post, but unconstitutional when it penalizes those who only receive or react to it.

Charito Zamora, officer-in-charge of the DOJ's cyber crime office, said Google has committed to preserve the "Ang Totoong Narcolist" videos, uploaded on YouTube, for a year as Philippine authorities undergo legal processes.