Loading...
“Contrary to the accusations leveled against me, I will be the last to resort to any kind of activity designed to undermine the administration or oust the duly elected officials in government,” read David’s counter-affidavit.
David filed the counter-affidavit before the Department of Justice (DOJ) in response to the complaint filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) which accused him and 35 other respondents of their involvement in the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” viral videos.
In its complaint, the PNP-CIDG accused the respondents of having committed sedition, inciting to sedition, cyber libel, libel, estafa, harboring a criminal, and obstruction of justice.
The viral videos feature the hooded Bikoy, who was revealed to be Advincula, and accused a number of personalities including family members of President Rodrigo Duterte as being involved in the illegal drugs trade.
Loading...
In his counter-affidavit, David denied the allegations made in Advincula’s sworn statement that the prelate is part “shadow” group “who provided him financial and logistical support in the production of the video series in social media.”
“Such assertions is nothing but a blatant lie, an orchestrated move to ruin my name and reputation as a Roman Catholic Bishop through false innuendos, malicious inferences and speculations which are doubly libelous, grossly vilifying and obviously defamatory,” he stated.
David also refuted the claims of Advincula that last February 9 they met at the prelate’s house in Caloocan City along with Fr. Albert Alejo and discussed with former Sen. Antonio Trillanes, through ProtonMail, about the making and the release of the videos.
The prelate did admit that on that day Alejo brought Advincula at David’s home but did not know who Advincula at that time was.
David recounted “Fr. Alejo briefly told me the life of the man he was with at that time was in danger, that the drug syndicate he used to work with was after him, and that he needed sanctuary.”
David turned down Alejo and told him that “while the Church indeed sometimes provides sanctuary to people who feel their lives are in danger, so far, we have only provided help to crime-witnesses, not to people, who have been involved in crimes themselves.”
“I advised Fr. Alejo to seek help from people who might be in a better position to help deal with the man’s alleged situation, and, whispered to him to better check first on the veracity of the man’s story who came and left as a total stranger to me,” he recounted.
Novaliches Bishop Teodoro Bacani Jr., who is also named as a respondent, also denied being part of the “shadow” group.
Because of this, Bacani asked the panel of prosecutors conducting the preliminary investigation of the complaint to dismiss the charges against him.
“No other detail in support of such statement by ‘Bikoy’ is offered, which, to my mind, is unavoidable and understandable since the same is absolutely false,” read Bacani’s separate counter-affidavit.
Among the respondents, those who have already filed counter-affidavits are David, Bacani and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villages.
Villegas has also denied in his counter-affidavit the accusation of Advincula.
Loading...
[SOURCE]- gnbc.news
Loading...
No comments:
Post a Comment