Leni seeks evidence in sedition rap

The camp of Vice President Leni Robredo yesterday asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to compel the Philippine National Police to produce the evidence in the sedition case filed against her and 35 other opposition personalities by the PNP.

Robredo reiterated that she is ready to face the inciting to sedition charge lodged against her, but maintained that the evidence must first be produced.

“I am ready to face these allegations,” she said on social media. “Pero dapat patas ang

laban. Ilabas ang ebidensiya (The fight should be fair. Release the evidence).”

Robredo, represented by her lawyer Marlon Manuel, filed a motion before the DOJ seeking additional evidence and witnesses in the complaint.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed charges of inciting to sedition, cyberlibel, libel, estafa, harboring a criminal and obstruction of justice against Robredo on July 18 based on the sworn statement of Peter Joemel Advincula, who introduced himself as “Bikoy” in the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos.

Advincula claimed that opposition leaders paid him to appear in the video, which linked President Duterte’s family to illegal drugs.

Ibarra Gutierrez III, spokesman for Robredo, said the CIDG’s only evidence was the affidavit of Advincula.

“Assuming that such evidence exists, the same has been deliberately withheld from the instant proceedings in violation of the respondent’s rights to due process,” the motion read.

According to Gutierrez, PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde and Larry Gadon, lawyer for Advincula, claimed that the complaint was supported by evidence.

“They should reveal the evidence. We have the right to see the whole story,” Gutierrez said.

Aside from the Vice President, the CIDG charged 35 opposition officials and personalities.

The DOJ set the preliminary investigation on the complaint against Robredo today.

Robredo’s camp said she would not be attending the hearing. The Vice President will be represented by her lawyer.

Advincula also tagged Robredo as among those who took part in a plot to oust the President.

Robredo had dismissed the charge, noting that the PNP merely based it on the affidavit of Advincula.

She denied the allegation and branded Advincula a liar, noting the latter’s claim that they have met in the past.

Bishops submit counter-affidavits

Three Catholic bishops, who are corespondents of Robredo, submitted yesterday their counter-affidavits before the DOJ.

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, and retired Novaliches Bishop Teodoro Bacani submitted their separate answers to the DOJ prosecution panel led by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Olivia Torrevillas.

Villegas is a former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. David is currently the CBCP vice president.

Bacani was accompanied by his lawyer Christian Monsod.

Another priest, Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco, has yet to submit his counteraffidavit.