Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Monday denounced the attacks against her family following the fresh accusation that her husband, Manases Carpio, was involved in the illegal drug trade.
Duterte-Carpio, chairman of the regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago, said she already expected that the name of her husband would crop up in the succeeding videos of “Ang Totoong Narcolist” based on the documents that were posted in the previous videos.
She made her statement even as Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde said Monday alias Bikoy could be held liable for violating the cybercrime law if he could not prove his allegations against the family of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“There’s cyber libel now. That’s part of the anti-cybercrime law,” Albayalde told reporters.
He said the PNP was willing to help Bikoy if he could prove his claims.
“We can even help him file a case against that person and if not, he will be made liable for all those things he has been saying. Albayalde said.
The Palace and pro-administration figures have branded as black propaganda the video series that linked different members of the Duterte family to the illegal drug trade.
“It’s an attack against the family and sinabi ko nga, it can be me dahil ako naman ang nakikita nila lagi ngayon because of the campaign for the senators. It could also be against the President dahil maraming hindi in favor of his administration,” Duterte-Carpio told reporters on the sidelines of HNP’s campaign sorties in Mati, Davao Oriental.
In the fourth installment of the video series, “Bikoy,” an alleged former drug syndicate member who claims to have knowledge of the Duterte family’s involvement in the illegal drug trade, said Duterte-Carpio’s husband had the code name “JENNABAY-TSG003” for his “tara” or grease money.
Bikoy claimed Carpio had rural bank accounts that had been receiving drug money since 2010. He claimed the drug money was then funneled into Carpio’s international bank accounts.
Bikoy also said there was no evidence yet linking Duterte-Carpio’s youngest brother, Sebastian, to the illegal drug trade. He said Sebastian appeared to be only a drug user but did not present proof to back his claim.
Asked about Bikoy’s allegation against her youngest brother, Duterte-Carpio said: “In all statements and declarations especially sa kanila na may ganyang accusation, dapat siguro meron kang proof or evidence ng mga claims mo. Hindi ka basta-basta na lang mag-state ng something as if it is a fact without basis.”
The first three episodes of the video series have linked Duterte-Carpio’s brother Paolo, half sister Veronica, and former Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go to the narcotics trade.
Paolo, Go and Veronica’s mother Honeylet Avanceña have denied Bikoy’s allegations.
Duterte-Carpio said she expected more mudslinging as the campaign for the senatorial elections enters its last stages.