DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/ 02 May) – BGen Leon Victor Rosete, Philippine National Police (PNP)-Region XI regional director, stated during a press conference at Camp Quintin Mericido that a group is likely behind the “false information” and “fake news” circulating on social media about police planning to raid properties owned by the Duterte family. Rosete noted that prior to these posts, there were claims about a memorandum instructing police to “wear something red” during the Alyansa ng Bagong Pilipinas campaign in Carmen, Davao del Norte on February 15, as well as a “manipulated” memorandum regarding the reassignment of 90 police officers from Davao Region to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Supporters of former President Rodrigo Duterte gathered at his residence in Luisa Subdivision, Ecoland, following social media posts alleging that troops from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and Special Action Force (SAF) had arrived in Davao City to conduct raids. Rosete clarified that police officers visited the area on Thursday to assess security, not to carry out a raid. Duterte is currently detained by the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands, facing charges of crimes against humanity related to his “war on drugs.” Rosete warned that those sharing false information could face legal consequences, noting that this was the third instance of “false information” monitored by PRO-XI in two to three months. He suggested a possible connection, stating, “It’s too early to find a connection because it’s still under investigation, but it really looks like it’s just one group. Let’s see, the style is similar, all false information.” When asked if Duterte’s properties would be raided before or during the midterm elections, Rosete responded, “If there’s a violation of the law, we will conduct police operations. But if there’s none, why would we conduct police operations?” Rep. Paolo Duterte of Davao City’s 1st District condemned what he called harassment by the CIDG, claiming that 30 CIDG and 90 SAF personnel were deployed from Luzon to Davao and that their movements were being tracked. He accused some police officers of prioritizing money over justice and warned that all involved are being monitored. BGen Jean Fajardo, PNP spokesperson, dismissed the lawmaker’s claims as “fake news,” with CIDG chief MGen Nicolas Torre denying any ongoing operations in Davao City. (Ian Carl Espinosa/MindaNews)
