Elizaldy Co, one of personalities named in the “Ang Totoong Narco List” video, has filed a defamation case and P1-billion damage suit against Peter Joemel Advincula, alias “Bikoy”, and the local subsidiaries of tech giants Facebook and Google.
“By his own admission, Bikoy said everything in the viral video series that implicates me, Misibis Bay Resort and other personalities are pure fabrication. While my family and I are happy that this episode is finally over, our fight to clear our tarnished name and reputation continues,” Co said in a statement Thursday, May 23.
In separate complaints before the Legazpi City Prosecutors’ Office last May 14, Co and the Misibis Bay resort management sought the criminal indictment of the respondents for cyber libel.
The complaint also named Facebook Philippines, represented by country director John Rubio, and Google Philippines as owner of YouTube through its country manager Kenneth Lingan.
Co said his resort’s operation had been severely affected by the “Bikoy” videos.
“Evidently, my good name, business reputation and social standing, as well as the good name, business reputation and good will of Misibis Bay Resort, as well as its owner, Misibis Resort and Hotel Management Inc. which were painstakingly built through the years, were gravely tarnished, irreparably tainted and/or unduly smeared as a result of the publication of the subject video,” he added.
In the “Ang Totoong Narco-list” videos, a particular basement inside the facility has been alleged as being used as drugs laboratory, which the Misibis Bay management earlier denied.
Aside from President Rodrigo Duterte, among the personalities that Bikoy implicated in the illegal drugs operations through the videos were presidential son Paolo Duterte, his brother-in-law Maneses Carpio and former presidential aide Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go.
The video, Co said, has prompted some banking institutions to raise questions on his credit worthiness. — Benjamin Pulta (PNA)