UPDATE: Sotto once published a handbook on fighting illegal drugs, which was funded by a suspected drug lord
By Raïssa Robles
Senate President Vicente Sotto III changed two crucial details of his story questioning the credibility of whistle blower “Bikoy” in the two press conferences he staged just two days apart.
Because of Sotto’s revelations, Senator Panfilo Lacson canceled the appearance of Peter Joemel Advincula alias “Bikoy” at the Senate.
As a senator and Senate President, the public accords Sotto’s statements with the presumption of regularity—that what he says is what is true.
But what if he changes certain crucial details of his story in two press conferences made two days apart?
On May 6, 2019, while he was in Laguna, Sotto said:
Bikoy’s offer of an expose came to him “before the 2016 elections”. He even added that the offer came “kung hindi 2014, 2015.” (If not 2014, 2015).
He also said Bikoy did not submit any affidavit. “Marami kaming tinabi. I’m sure marami kaming tinabi. Walang affidavit eh.” [We set aside so many documents. I’m sure we set a lot aside. There was no affidavit.]
But in his press con today, where he made an elaborate slide presentation, one of the first slides he presented clearly said – “Sinumpaang Salaysay (December 2016).
The phrase “sinumpaang salaysay” means “sworn affidavit”.
In addition, the slide stated that the affidavit was dated AFTER, not BEFORE the May 2016 presidential elections where Rodrigo Duterte won.
So, was there really an affidavit or was there none?
If there was none, why say now there is one? To mislead the public?
Perhaps to set matters straight, Sen. Sotto should simply release the entire alleged affidavit of Advincula so that the public can examine it.
UPDATE as of 9:06 PM, May 8, 2019
Somebody just posted this question to me on my Facebook community page – “could sotto be trying to muddle the issues. could he be one of the drug lords?”
Because of this, I just remembered that Sotto once launched a handbook on fighting illegal drugs. It turned out that the funder of his book was named Alfredo Tiongco, whose house in Talayan Village, Quezon City was raided by authorities during the time of then President Fidel V. Ramos. I know this because I had to cover the Tiongco case for South China Morning Post (HK).
Tiongco was a suspected drug lord. He fled to Hong Kong. Tiongco was the first subject of the extradition treaty between Manila and Hong Kong. Guess who “fetched” Tiongco – a police official named Panfilo Lacson.
I can’t answer the question whether Sotto was involved in drugs. I go by the facts – that he had accepted funding from a suspected drug lord to fund, of all things, a handbook on fighting illegal drugs.
Tiongco was acquitted on a technicality.
Or is Senate President Sotto just making it up?
Because if he is, that is not beyond the realm of imagination.
Remember the plagiarism scandal that he got embroiled in back in 2012? Wherein he denied he had plagiarized the late US senator Robert Kennedy, five bloggers and a briefing paper? And most of them reacted? Especially Kennedy’s daughter Kerry?
To refresh the minds of the readers, here are the links to my blog posts about Sotto’s plagiarism scandal.
Why Senator Sotto suddenly said ‘sorry’ to Kerry Kennedy today- sort of
Why Senator Sotto suddenly said ‘sorry’ to Kerry Kennedy today – sort of
Robert Kennedy’s daughter offended by Sotto’s theft of her dad’s speech; wants an apology
Robert Kennedy’s daughter offended by Sotto’s theft of her dad’s speech; wants an apology
Dear US bloggers: Remember how Sen. Sotto challenged you to sue him for plagiarism? Here’s how…
Dear US bloggers: Remember how Sen. Sotto challenged you to sue him for plagiarism? Here’s how…
UPDATE: Senator Sotto lifted from 5 bloggers and 1 briefing paper
UPDATE: Senator Sotto lifted from 5 bloggers and 1 briefing paper
Did Sen. Sotto copy from 5 bloggers?
Did Senator Sotto just lie on national tv?
Meanwhile, below is the pertinent portion from the “partial transcript of press con” of Senator Sotto in Calamba, Laguna on May 6, 2019. I have highlighted the parts I pointed out. The url of the transcript is – https://senate.gov.ph/press_release/2019/0506_prib2.asp
Q: Kanina lumabas na si Bikoy at sabi nya humihingi sya ng tulong sa Senado…
SP Sotto: Lahat ng lumalapit sa Senado pinagbibigyan namin. Pero ang mahalaga muna ay iniimbestigahan din muna namin. There was a particular person, you can verify this, I think I still have some the records. There was a person that approached me, sent word to me when he was still in the National Bilibid Prisons concerning some of the names that were mentioned in the revelations or whatever expose you would want to call it. So nung unang nakarating sa akin yan a few years ago, before the 2016 elections, he was particularly pointing to some officials – Bicol region, Vice Pres. Binay, Pres. Noynoy Aquino – medyo masyadong malalim yung narrating na information sa akin. Ang family name nya pareho rin nung family name nitong si Bikoy eh. Kung noong araw tiningnan namin, pinatulan namin , pinaimbestigahan ko, pinakausap ko. as a matter a fact nagpunta yung isang staff ko dun sa NBP para kausapin eh. He practically sounds the same as this one. But it never materialized because the bank accounts that were given, mga ganito pina imbestigahan namin, pina check namin, kinaila nung bangko sa abroad because hindi raw yun ang number nila eh. Yun daw number na nakasulat 9 ata eh sila raw 7 lang ang number nila sa bank account nila. It never materialized. So now, ito, parang kaunog eh. It sounds the same right? Whatever. If he would want the Senate to investigate, give us the proof. Give us the documents. Submit to us the documents, we can have it investigated and then we will see if kung nararapat tumawag kami ng hearing o hindi.
Q: Ipapacheck nyo sa staff nyo kung same person…
SP Sotto: He’s not here right now. But I can talk to him later. I’m talking about Hutch. Kilala nyo naman si Hutch di ba? Sya yung pinapunta ko dun. Drugs saka mga accounts daw. Same ang family name, hindi ko lang alam kung sya talaga ito eh, same person. I’m not sure. Nadagdagan lang ngayon. Nadagdag sila Bong. Si Bong Go saka si….
Sen. Bam Aquino: Nung una kami tapos naging si Bong.
SP Sotto: Nung una ang mga naimplicate sina VP Binay, Pres. Noynoy Aquino, some officials in Bicol. Baka may mga hindi pa ako ma-recall. Kung hindi 2014, 2015.
Q: Yung mga documents nasa inyo pa…
SP Sotto: Oo palagay ko meron pa. I’ll look at it later on. I’ll check with my office. Marami kaming tinabi. I’m sure marami kaming tinabi. Walang affidavit eh. Puro ganun ang pinadala. So nung pinapunta ko dala-dala yung dokumento, ininterview sya, medyo ligaw ligaw yung sinasabi, pagbalik sa akin ng staff ko, sabi sa akin, ‘sir imbestigahan muna natin yung mga account na sinasabi’ dahil nalilito ako sa kwento. No, I never met him. Hutch met him. Same surname eh. I’m not sure about the first name. So I don’t know if it’s the same person. So what I’m saying, iimbestigahan namin kung merong value yung dapat imbestigahan. Kung may dokumento na sinasabin tama o kung may proof. Kasi kung hindi, hindi naman pwedeng ang Senado basta basta na lang pumapatol dahil lumabas si ganito, si ganyan. Kanina lang kababasa ko nakulong daw si Pacquiao sabi sa Facebook. Nakita nyo bay yun? Eh papano iimbestigahan ba natin si Manny Pacquiao dahil nakulong?
leona says
AHOY! AHOY! The lookout shouts seeing LOCSIN ahoying again for China! His new plot says ‘pinoy fishermen partly to blame also because they did not have a lookout. AHOY! ‘Pinoys’ cook sees a fishing vessel coming coming. . . BAM! ‘Twas ahoy Chinese vessel with a lookout, that is, the HELMSMAN looking ahead of another vessel, and as lookout and piloting his vessel, intentionally lookout to RAM & HIT the other vessel. AHOY! Bulls’ eye! WHAM! SHRUERKTEEREDOFF pieces of wood, throwing the sleeping ‘Pinoys into the waters. These sleeping fishermen thought they were all PISSING their urines, why wet and AHOYET! AHA! W’re in the waters! Thisn’t a joke! SWIM! SWIM! AHOY! TULONG! HELPING ME! Sounds of ROOMM ROOMM of engine roomming away from the scene, leaving the poor swimmers in the dark night to die or be fish-eaten by big & small fish. AHOY! TULONG! Hours passed away, waiting for rescue. Luckily, another vessel saw the AHOYERS in the waters, splashing for life.Arriving vessel, with a lookout, saw the ahoyers, came near and rescued ahoyers. AHOYERS told their story. Then, SEC. PINOL met AHOYERS with riot squad of COPS, PNP! The still-dazed and scared ‘Pinoy fishermen heard the Secretary: telling them to lie and change their AHOYING story. Ahoy change your story; be conflicting in your story and then make one ahoy joint story, if not, no peanuts! Nuts! They changed their ahoy story. Now, the pitiful ‘Pinoy fishermen have a peaNUT story. Sec. LOCSIN capitalizes this NUT story. Sad-looking in sando-T-shirts, this fishermen poses for photos to support the nut story. AHOY! Being and fishing in their own EEZ fishing ground, the trespasser Chinese vessel with a helmsman as lookout, is not the nut to blame. China do not want a third-party to probe as it might be peanut-doNUT story to come out. If that is it, all vip secretarynuts in this AHOY story keeps ever the chinut favorable nut-story as defenders of chinut. ‘Di ba treasonut yon? It is. But whanut can younut do, pistingnut ito. AHOY! AHOYNUT! Lesson to be learned for our fishermen: DO NOT GO OUT TO FISH AT OUR EEZ ANYMORE. THERE IS A NUT INTRUDER NUT-SUPPORTED BY OUR NUTS.
.
leona says
Reading the nuts:
-Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Wednesday clarified that it was nut the administration’s policy to allow the Chinese to fish in Philippine waters.
-Locsin said in a television interview that he was not aware of President Duterte’s supposed “verbal agreement” with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2016, and insisted that such a deal could nut be enforced because it was not documented.
Contr-nut:
-But presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo stood by his statement on Monday that there was a verbal agreement between President Duterte and Xi, and it was already being enforced.
-“Isnut it already being enforced? We’re nut being bothered, so that means it’s being implemented,” Panelo said.
Why nut? War of Nuts.
arc says
sa mindanaw po may martial law, may mga roadblocks at lookouts pa, may curfew at may mga armed personnel on patrol and on duty 24/7. they have jeeps and attack helicopters, may bazookas, superior intel and their gizmos are superb at collating field communication. and can deploy at a moment’s notice sila.
and yet, lusot pa rin ang mga suicide bombers, he, he, he. at saka, people are still being kidnapped for ransom and within yelling distance pa from the military!
nuts! butternuts! coconuts! and the bigger nuts are wearing expensive pantalons and imported korbatas!
I see dumb people, they are walking around and they dont know they’re dumb, he, he, he.
arc says
if there is job vacancy for lookout helmsman, maybe locsin should apply and show fishermen how the job is done. dapat may whistle din po siyang dala, just in case. and maybe harpoon as well. and locsin must learn to speak chinese so he can communicate with the chinese and convey his intention.
arc says
anyhow, locsin is not accredited naval investigator, he’s not qualified to investigate o analyze the ramming accident. he cannot even tell the difference between the stern of a boat and the bow, or even read tides and eddies, he, he, he.
locsin is like persida acosta presenting forensic findings of dengue deaths due to dengvaxia na dodgy at mali naman. habang is locsin naman ay presenting findings of maritime accident na dodgy naman at walang point of reference, a bobo findings.
leona says
In our country and Constitution, people have adopted ‘Democracy,’ this word from Greece. In our country today, Democracy might be or will be, done – voting for speakership in the lower house of Congress. We will see the politics of it in play, the voting process. According to a well known Greek philosopher, ‘is that voting in an election is a skill, not a random intuition.’ By public and general knowledge, we do not have skilled voters. We may have killing voters instead. How’s is that? Well, sadly,we have for a long time catastrophic experience of the foolishness of voters. How is that? Well, just like the Greeks and in many countries, we do not have an intellectual democracy How’s that? Well, what we have is a democracy by birthright. How’s that? Well, the voting is not connecting it to that of wisdom. Well, this how it goes: the voting leads to demagoguery. A painful experience. An exploitation for the easy answer. How’s that? Well, read this news today: 1.) Davao City Rep. Paolo “Polong” Duterte might join ‘the race.’ 2.) Because the House is divided. 3.) A dramatic shifts in loyalties and alliances in the House, whose members had been split among three candidates. 4.) A a number of House leaders said they expected members to rally around Duterte even if they had already made commitments to other contenders. 5.) The President said he will quit if son becomes the boat Captain, because the boat [the House ] will sink.
Quit if he runs. Run and quit. Quit running. Whichever it will be, that is demagoguery. That is our way of voting in a democracy by birthright. Read Socrates in the dialogues of Plato.
arc says
socrates and plato, one of them drunk the poisoned cup. democracy is so idealized, young children dont believe democracy exist! they cannot taste it, see it, smell it, or touch it.
and democracy as in term sharing, cayetano was fooling hisself, he, he, he. he really should have a plan B, he has been putting his eggs in so many baskets, mukhang ma-out-egged na siya. petulant comes to mind po.
if polong indeed wins the speakership, duterte will resign as promised? too many promises, too many jetskis going nowhere. duterte begged instead the armed forces, the kapolisan and military, not to coup him. that they can come and talk with him, he’ll go if asked. the door is open.
kaso, duterte offers no immunity to those that come through the door, did not promise they wont be harmed, their wife and children wont be raped, their homes burned. no amnesty is promised as well. so if duterte gifted them the firing squad, their thank you for taking up his offer, uhm, lorenzana would be ecstatic! extremely happy! he got to keep his job, hic.
leona says
Hong Kong protesters are living it hard to continue their protest. About what? To be extradited to mainland China at present time. A bill to become a law for that. But what about in the next 28 years from now, that is YEAR 2047 when HK will lose what it has now as living differently from Chinese in China mainland?This is the agreement with U.K. with China in 1997. A big problem ahead. Many HongKongers leaving HK since 1997 and as time is getting shorter, maybe more are leaving the conclave area to other countries. It was said way back by Mr. Deng Xiaoping, China’s supreme leader at the time that ‘”When the terms expire, China will surely recover its sovereignty over Hong Kong.” Deng asked investors in Hong Kong “not to worry,” indicating that China will deal with the issue under the “one country, two systems” principle.’ That was ‘at the time.’ Time has changed since then and now. Tik Tok Tik Tok the clocks are heard loud & clear in HK. Can HonkKongers not worry? Surely they are the reason for their protests. Protests will be a bigger problem ahead.
Would it have been possible in 1997 or before that to have made Hong Kong a separate State from China? Independent and sovereign from mainland China? What about the Vatican State in Rome, Italy?Or maybe something like Washington, D.C. in USA? Or Puerto Rico too? Guam? What else?
Hmm. . . big problems ahead in HK. We just might be in the same boat to fish if China is left unchecked to do what IT wants. Hmm…big problem too.
https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Hong-Kong-s-year-2047-problem
leona says
Getting on the problem
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/world/699559/hong-kong-police-retake-parliament-from-anti-government-protesters/story/?headline
arc says
hongkongers are not giving up without a fight, they want to retain autonomy from china. hongkong chinese not trusting mainland chinese for very good reason. china has very poor human rights record, spying on its citizens, jailing and making trump up charges, etc. even our morales and del rosario have both tasted china’ nasty approaches with connivance of our govt of course. both morales and del rosario were allowed to travel to hongkong on valid passports, only to be detained there on vague immigration whatnots. and both have filed case vs xi of china.
pinaubaya ni duterte ang defence of our eez sa taumbayan, himself has not the will, courage and determination, too lazy in short. 75 land daw kasi ang grado, and it shows talaga.
in his lack, morales and del rosario stepped up. what the president should have been doing, ay ginawa nina morales at del rosario. duterte sleeps a lot and travels a lot, appears busy doing nothing! even his own backyard (mindanaw) is blooming with terrorists yata. bombings galore only this time, suicide bombing na, an improvement sa ied, he, he, he.
good on on the hongkongers! fighting the good fight sila, refusing extradition.
leona says
A new Senator anticipates changes and new laws needed for transformation. FYI: it might be a bleeding task and not just blood and gore ahead. Have you read the draft of the Federal Constitution? If not, try to read it. It your right-side of the brain relocates to the left-side and vice versa, you are bleeding because you become trapped and cannot get outside of it. With that you know you cannot vote to support that draft because it is much worst that the present Constitution. If by supporting to approve it IT will change you to be super-worst for the people & country. The volume of the noise and hysteria is country-wide which might just rattle you while working as a senator. I enjoin you to be a genuine senator to say NO when it is bad or be ahead to say YES when it is good. And lastly, forget the joke as it is so true not conspire to be president by playing golf while being a senator. he he
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1136522/fathers-joke-made-imee-marcos-reluctant-to-run-for-senate
arc says
hay, iday, duterte is looking for another marcos kuno. if there is indeed another marcos, or a new marcos, maybe the 1st thing the new marcos will do is to kill duterte! and get him out of the way.
arc says
anyhow, bong marcos was senator before running for vice presidency and losing to robredo, so imee should have a good idea of what senators do.
imee could not have forgotten so soon what her brother did, how many laws he has passed, the laws he has not signed, the debates and deliberations he has participated.
I’m presuming that brother and sister are talking to each other and have cordial relationship.
leona says
Madaldal lang si Secretary Emmanuel Pinol. He is not and was not resigning. He just want to be relieved from post. Tatlong daldal na yan. APAT: No one has a Torrens title in his/her post. FYI: Even a tax declaration does not exists. Maybe the Secretary was extremely afraid not to bring a riot squad of PNP cops to the fishermen lair that subjected him to public’s ire as head of DA. Everyone appointed into gov’t service is expendable. With Pres. Duterte just be ready to be surprised when it comes or it does not come. A gov’t post is like a room with a door for entry and exit. I sympathize with the Secretary. Good luck in the next Cabinet meeting.
https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1135827/pinol-i-did-not-say-the-president-has-lost-trust-in-me
arc says
I thought, the riot squad went to mindoro to arrest those wanting to impeach the president, he, he, he. kaso, the squad saw only sad looking fishermen whose bangka was rammed by the chinese. empty handed tuloy si pinyol, could not arrest anyone, impeachers o fishermen alike. nakalimutan ni pinyol ang arrest warrant! at saka, at the time, hindi pa crime being abandoned at sea, hindi pa pwedeng damputin ang mga fishermen.
anyhow, welcome kaayo si pinyol to work in mindanaw, bangsamoro’s hataman got work for him.
next cabinet meeting po, baka dala-dala na naman ni pinyol ang riot squad! he, he, he.
leona says
Does Pres. [ not Mayor] Duterte feels inferior or belittled by China bully Pres. Xi keeps addressing our president as Mayor? And by that gets scared of China’s Xi? It is a China insulto to call him ‘mayor’.
Baka hindi naniniwala si Xi na presidente na si dating mayor. Parang speak-trick psychological trick intong salita ni Xi kay President Duterte na ‘Mayor’ lang parin siya’. Bakit kaya ganoon?
Ma-Xi ang dating nga kung ganyan.
Excerpt: ‘Xi said in a whisper … ‘You know Mayor Duterte, we just restored our (friendship).x x x There could be war.’ Meaning: Meaning: Wag mag hukay ng oil. Only China will dig oil in your area.
Aha! O.k. Xi.
https://globalnation.inquirer.net/177172/duterte-recalls-china-warning-if-ph-explores-sea-for-oil
he he
No oil for ‘Pinas’ future.
arc says
duterte is a liar, dapat hindi tularan. he lies and lies and lies. and why would xi whisper, may laryngitis ba siya? he, he, he. aba, natamaan siguro ng swine flu is xi kaya pa-whisper-whisper na lang! or may bara yata sa lalamunan si xi, has swallowed kasi a pair of chopsticks made from mother of pearl taken from our giant clams! nagabaan.
of course, pinas should dig and dig and dig for more oil so there will be oil ready when chinese aircraft next refuel in dabaw, free of charge! so dig!
putak ng putak si duterte, buti pa yong manok may itlog, he, he, he.
arc says
if there is war, it’s trade war, not nuclear war and not the kind of war duterte has in mind. he needs to pay more attention next time he attends summit and not be skipping talks again. that way, he does not have to embellish o kaya make up awful stories!
may trade war sina trump at xi at dapat hindi nag-off shot ng nuclear war si duterte, he, he, he.
arc says
duterte’s fear of imaginary war (armed conflict) with china is making him inutil. bobo kasi! he should look at both ends of the sausage for he must just find out that china is just as fearful of going to war or armed conflict with pinas. the moment china goes into armed conflict with us, our mutual defense treaty with america is activated. what duterte has to remember is that japan also has similar treaty with america. germany, france, england, australia, new zealand, etc, have also similar treaties. and it’s not only america but the full might of those that have treaties with america could well be dragged into our conflict with china. think china can handle that?
duterte is lazy. he wants things done for him, now that he is president and has to do things himself, he falls short. he fears making hard decisions, he changes stories and often tell lies!
and his martial law in mindanaw is not working. may suicide bombing na naman sa jolo, suicide bombing din ang nangyari sa cathedral. suicide bombers have no respect for martial law.
Kalahari says
It is obvious that PRRD is pro-chinese and trying his best to cover-up the chinese ramming of our helpless fishermen to ensure that only they can fish in the Recto Bank and adjacent areas, which he allows in violation of the Constitution
What kind of president do we have? Are we now a province of China? The militant leftists are eerily silent since they’re also pro-chinese.
Duterte should change his name to Duterteng
leona says
Really, I do not know what to make out of this: 1st – speakershit of Lower House is on game. 2nd – Senate what then?
Every congresshitman now says: I will respect whatever the President say who is speakershit. Ganoon ang supposedly ang Independent Congress Lover House. So, why not just make all this other Branch of government a part of the Executive Dept.? An adjunct. A waster of money, etc. electing them just see everybody there FOLLOWS the Executive head.
This is how politics happens here. What can the country & people do about it? Nada. Eternal nada.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/06/21/1928359/alvarez-offers-deputy-speaker-post-duterte-son