- Rep. Duterte’s police escorts discharged after alleged assault complaint
THE DAVAO Police Regional Office XI confirmed on Wednesday that two of its policemen were discharged and are facing administrative cases following the alleged physical assault involving Rep. Paolo Duterte inside a bar in Davao City in February this year.
In a press conference on Wednesday, May 7, PRO XI spokesperson Major Catherine Dela Rey said they are still determining the exact filing date of the case by the CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group).
However, she confirmed the two unnamed policemen are facing administrative charges.
During the Davao Peace and Security Press Briefing at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on Tuesday, Dela Rey initially stated, “They have already been filed [against two police officers] with an administrative case. I’m just verifying because the CIDG filed the case.”
She explained that the CIDG, while a separate unit, can initiate administrative cases even if the personnel are organic to PRO XI.
“There is definitely an admin case, but as to the details of when, the ranks, and the names, I cannot give that yet,” she said.
Philippine National Police Director General Rommel Marbil ordered the discharge of the two officers on Wednesday morning, May 7, 2025.
In a press conference on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, Marbil said that administrative charges for grave irregularities in the performance of duty were filed against the two personnel assigned to the Davao City Police Office, as well as against their immediate supervisors for command responsibility.
“We saw in the video four individuals—two police officers and two from the Armed Forces. As for the two police officers, they were not authorized. They were moonlighting. They surrendered their firearms and IDs, but they went AWOL (absence without official leave),” Marbil said.
“Aside from the two police officers being discharged for moonlighting, their commanders are also included for allowing it and for failing to account for it. Moonlighting wouldn’t happen if they didn’t falsify their reports. Once we file for dishonesty, it results in perpetual disqualification from any government position. So, this is a warning to our police officers: Make sure to take your job seriously,” he added.
The two policemen were identified through a viral video where Duterte was seen beating up a man inside a bar. In the complaint, the victim alleged the incident took place on Feb. 23, 2025, at a bar in Davao City.
He added that Duterte turned off the security camera when he noticed there was one. The victim said he initially refused to seek medical attention or file a complaint due to fear.
PNP neutral
Emphasizing the PNP’s impartiality, Dela Rey said, “So there you can see that the PNP is not selective. If there is a fracture within our ranks, we really file an admin case because supposedly we are the role models, so that’s part of the disciplinary actions if there are sanctions.”
When questioned about the reason for the administrative case, Dela Rey explained, “Something happened where they were supposed to intervene and separate individuals, but it shouldn’t have happened like that. They took no action.”
She further clarified, “As peacekeepers, if an incident happens, there should be action that needs to be taken.”
Dela Rey also addressed allegations of moonlighting: “Allegedly, they were moonlighting as escort security. That’s part of the ongoing investigation and part of the admin case. If they were moonlighting, they shouldn’t have been there.”
Regarding the custody of the officers, Dela Rey declined to provide details, saying, “I cannot give the details.”
Finally, when asked about the potential discharge of the officers’ commander, Dela Rey stated that she “had no information on that matter yet.”
