The uploader of the “Bikoy” videos that accused President Rodrigo Duterte’s family of involvement in the illegal drug trade on Friday said to supporters of the opposition Liberal Party had tapped him to create a website to share them.
At a news conference at the National Bureau of Investigation, Robert Jayme, 27, said he was approached by the supporters identified as “Maru Nguyen” and “Maru Xie.”
Since they were his friends, he agreed to put up the website, Jayme said. He also said the two assured him that the website would just be used to share articles highlighting the achievements of the previous administration.
He said he felt that he was betrayed because they were his friends. He added that he had nothing to do with the actual content of the videos.
“I am not Bikoy. I did not upload anything,” Jayme said after the NBI confirmed he was the administrator and registrant of the website. “I did not upload the videos. I was just making a living.”
He said he received P2,500 for web hosting and the domain of the website.
“I am not guilty so that I did not go into hiding. I voluntarily went with the NBI because I have nothing to do with the uploaded videos,” Jayme said.
The NBI has accused Jayme of inciting to sedition.
NBI spokesperson Ferdinand Lavin said Jayme may be considered as a state witness if he continues to cooperate and identifies people who might have a hand in creating the videos.
NBI Cybercrime Division chief Vic Lorenzo said that aside from inciting to sedition, Jayme might still be facing other charges.
In his Youtube clips titled “Ang Totoong Narco-list,” a hooded figure calling himself “Bikoy” claimed that drug money was funneled into the bank accounts of President Rodrigo Duterte’s son former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, his son-in-law Manases Carpio, husband of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and the former presidential aide Christopher Go, who is running for senator.
Bikoy has also dragged the names of Honey, the President’s partner and their daughter Kitty into the allegations.
The Liberal Party denied its involvement in the dissemination of the videos, calling the allegations a diversionary tactic.
In a statement, Liberal Party president and Senator Francis Pangilinan said the administration was trying to change the conversation so it would not be made to answer for its failures.
Opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra to go slow on his crackdown against whistleblowers linking members of the Duterte family to illegal drugs.
He said at this rate, Guevarra himself might be suspected of protecting drug lords.
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