Trillanes, Bam, Gutoc seek dismissal of sedition raps

Three more opposition figures on Thursday sought the dismissal of sedition charges filed against them in connection with a supposed plot to discredit and overthrow President Rodrigo Duterte.

Former senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino and Otso Diretso senatorial candidate Samira Gutoc filed their respective counter-affidavits before a state prosecutor at the Department of Justice (DOJ) one day before the resumption of the preliminary investigation of the charges.

The complaint filed by the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group is based on the sworn statement of Peter Joemel Advincula, the man who claims to be the hooded "Bikoy" in the "Ang Totoong Narcolist" videos.

In his filing, Trillanes said he did not know of nor participate in the production and circulation of the videos, in which "Bikoy" implicated members of the First Family in the illegal drug trade.  He also denied he was part of a "destabilization plot" aiming to unseat Duterte and install Vice President Leni Robredo in his place.

Though he said Advincula had been introduced to him by church workers in 2018, he said he set aside the man's claims after he found his story "wanting in vital detail and very confusing." He said Advincula failed his "vetting process" for whistleblowers and witnesses who come to him.

He said he had almost forgotten about Advincula's claims until February 2019, when the same church workers gave him documents that supposedly came from Advincula and "his fellow syndicate" members that purportedly reflected the "monthly taras" given to the patriarchs of the syndicate.

He said he asked "local and international" persons and institutions to validate the documents, then informed Advincula through the church workers that "the only thing we can do is to patiently wait for the result of the investigation and/or verification process."

"This was the entire extent of my involvement with Bikoy and the statements and/or related documents emanating from him," Trillanes said in the counter-affidavit.

Meanwhile, Aquino and Gutoc were specifically accused of attending a March 4, 2019 meeting at the Ateneo De Manila University, where they and other opposition personalities, including Robredo, discussed an alleged plot to discredit the Duterte administration.

But both said they were in the university on that date to attend a senatorial debate forum hosted by Rappler. Both also denied personally knowing Advincula and being part of the purported "Shadow Group" of "Project Sodoma," the alleged plot.

"Without any hint of participation or knowledge of such Bikoy videos prior to their distribution in public and appearance in the news, I cannot and should not be made liable for any of the cases anchored on such alleged activity," Aquino said.

Also denying her participation in the alleged plot, Gutoc said she did not have "enough resources to give any financial, logistics, security, and accommodations aid in order for Project Sodoma to materialize." — BM, GMA News