‘Bikoy’ held for murder of 3 Sorsogon candidates

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines — Peter Joemel Advincula, who claimed to be “Bikoy” in a controversial video, was arrested yesterday in connection with the killing of three candidates for local posts in Donsol, Sorsogon.

Police said Councilor Helen Garay, 53; Karen Averilla, 44, and Xavier Mirasol, 61, were found dead at a store in a building in Barangay Busay in Daraga, Albay on Thursday.

Garay was running for vice mayor. Averilla, a businesswoman, and Mirasol, a businessman, were eyeing seats in the town council in Donsol. The three were supposed to run under the United Nationalist Alliance.

Probers said the victims, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds, could have been killed one after another.

Police said Advincula went to the Daraga police station at around 7:25 a.m. yesterday, saying three people were found dead at his rented unit. He was unaware that a companion of the victims, who managed to escape, had reported the incident.

Advincula is the man who claimed to be Bikoy in  the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos, which were circulated in 2019 and  implicated  President Duterte’s relatives in the illegal drug trade.

Lalaine Amor told police that Garay, Averilla and Mirasol went missing after meeting with Advincula in Daraga.

Amor said Advincula invited them for a meeting and took the victims one at a time.

She said she became suspicious when Advincula returned to their meeting place without the three.

Amor said she managed to escape when Advincula tried to take him. She said she called her husband to pick her up and they proceeded to the Bicol
police headquarters in Legazpi City to report the incident.

Advincula is being held at the Daraga police station for three counts of murder.

Probers are looking at politics and business as the motives.

Advincula is said to be the partner of Agnes Abo, an independent candidate for mayor of Donsol.