Decision to file sedition case vs. Church leaders stupid —bishop

A Catholic bishop on Friday said the decision of the police to slap a sedition case against some church leaders is stupid.

In an interview on church-run Radyo Veritas, Bishop Teodoro Bacani Jr, former Diocese of Novaliches prelate, said the decision of the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group was "stupid."

"That shows how stupid the police are, madali silang lokohin," Bacani said.

He was referring to Peter Joemel Advincula, who claims to be "Bikoy" in the "Ang Totoong Narco-list" video series alleging that some members of President Duterte's family and close friends are into drugs trade.

Bikoy recanted and turned the table on some opposition leaders, implicating among others, Vice President Leni Robredo, and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

Last Thursday, the PNP filed a sedition complaint against the Vice President, some members of the political opposition, as well as some Catholic Church leaders including Bacani.

Bacani said there is no truth to the allegations against him, arguing that the PNP-CIDG has no capability to objectively assess cases because they believe in the testimony of a person who has no credibility.

"The witness [Bicoy] is completely unbelievable, it could be stupid for them [police] and they look stupid before the world  if they file the charges based on the comment of that person because he is completely untrustworthy," Bacani insisted.

Also, he said he was surprised upon seeing on the charge sheet the name of Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco, who is silent about politics as he so dedicated in managing his diocese and ministering to his flock.

A total of 36 people, including VP Leni, are respondents to the sedition case the police filed.

Religious leaders on the charge sheet include former Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President and Lingayen Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, CBCP Vice President at Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco, Novaliches Bishop-Emeritus Teodoro Bacani Jr., Fr. Robert Reyes, Fr. Albert Alejo, and at Fr. Flaviano Villanueva.

Bacani suspects that the PNP's move is a tactic a divert the public's attention from bigger issues the Duterte administration wants to hide. —LBG, GMA News