Misplaced focus of attention
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Oscar Albayalde recently announced to the media that they will launch a probe to determine the mastermind behind viral videos accusing family members of President Rodrigo Duterte as being involved in the illegal drugs trade here in the country.
The PNP Chief went on further to add that the move is purely an initiative on their part and without any directive from the President or those members of his family alleged to be involved in the illegal drug industry.
One can almost appreciate the quick reaction and response by no less than the top honcho of the PNP on matters concerning the issue of cyber crime and given that those involved are members of the official family of the President.
However, it must also be pointed out that the PNP Chief seems a bit too eager in ordering the unilateral probe despite the fact that those alleged to be involved apart from being a relative of the President or a close friend are all private persons.
In fact, the PNP Chief admitted that the soon to be launched investigation on the controversial videos, four in total, that have gone viral after being uploaded in social media is their own initiative and a unilateral action on their part.
This means that even if those being accused in the video exposé of a certain “Bikoy” of having received millions of pesos in drug protection money are not interested in such an investigation, it will still be pursued by the PNP.
It may be recalled that in the four videos going viral on social media and presented by a certain “Bikoy”, congressional candidate Paolo Duterte, President Duterte’s partner Honeylett Avancena, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte’s husband Mans Carpio, and former Special Assistant to the President and now senatorial bet Christopher ‘Bong’ Go were accused of having received millions of
pesos in drug money.
Bikoy further claimed in those videos that he has a paper trail of the deposits and withdrawals made by the above-mentioned individuals related to the said drug protection money.
Nonetheless, if the PNP will go ahead with its investigation of those behind the videos without any formal complaint by those accused of being involved then the probe might be seen as self-serving and done only to earn the ‘pogi points’ from the President.
The crime of online libel is actually personal in nature since it involves malice or the intent of malice done against a public official or private person through deliberately false and defamatory statements.
In this sense, if those accused in the four viral videos believe that they have been maligned then the proper complaint should be filed for the appropriate investigation to be conducted by official
authorities.
In the announcement of Chief PNP Albayalde, it would seem as if their intent in conducting the probe has something to do with uncovering the brains behind the videos adding that they could be charged for cyber libel.
But then again to reiterate, those being accused in the videos are private persons who have not, until this moment, filed any formal complaint against those alleged to have made the videos.
How then can the PNP pursue its investigation without being accused of doing the bidding of certain private individuals close to the President, even if they are of course relatives, in return perhaps of earning future favors?
In a worse scenario a unilateral investigation by the PNP using vital resources and manpower to uncover what might turn out to be nothing but fiction crafted by an overactive imagination.
The PNP is better appreciated if it gives its focus on more important cases it is now handling instead of investigating videos on the internet.
Panagayunar?
April 21, 2019