POLICE Regional Office-Davao Region (PRO-Davao) spokesperson Major Catherine Dela Rey confirmed the administrative case and dismissal order of two police officers linked to an incident involving Davao City First District Representative Paolo "Pulong" Duterte, citing the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) impartiality and fairness in its internal disciplinary actions.
“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,” Dela Rey said in Davao Peace and Security Press Briefing on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, stressing the PNP's stance.
The incident in question occurred on February 23, 2025, at one of the bars in Obrero, Davao City, where a viral video showed Duterte allegedly assaulting a man, later identified as 37-year-old businessman Kristone John Patria.
The video also appeared to show the presence of police and military personnel during the altercation.
Meanwhile, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has filed administrative charges against two Davao City Police Office (DCPO) personnel for their failure to act during the incident.
Dela Rey clarified that while the CIDG is a separate unit, it has jurisdiction to file administrative cases even against PNP personnel assigned to PRO-Davao.
In a separate phone interview with SunStar Davao, Dela Rey noted that, “for privacy purposes, we will not divulge the information of the police officers, including their ranks and where they are stationed.”
According to her, it has been five to six days since the involved officers stopped reporting for duty. She added that they have already sent notifications, but have yet to receive a response from the concerned personnel. Nonetheless, the pre-charge investigation is ongoing.
PNP Chief General Rommel Marbil, in a press conference on the same day, confirmed the discharge of the two officers and disclosed that their immediate supervisors are also facing administrative charges for command responsibility.
The charges stem from what he described as “grave irregularities in the performance of duty.”
“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.
When asked 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.”
“As peacekeepers, if an incident happens, there should be action that needs to be taken,” she added.
Dela Rey also addressed the moonlighting allegations, clarifying, “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.”
Currently, Duterte is facing a criminal complaint filed at the Department of Justice (DOJ) for alleged violations of Article 265 (Physical Injuries) and Article 282 (Grave Threats) of the Revised Penal Code.
The complaint, filed by Patria on May 2, alleges that Duterte turned off the bar’s security cameras during the incident and that the victim initially hesitated to file a complaint out of fear.
Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon confirmed the DOJ's receipt of the complaint, though further case details remain under wraps.
In response, Duterte posted a statement on his Meta account, saying, “It’s still your decision to choose who you are going to vote for congressman in the first district. I won’t force you over anything, and I’ve been told by my lawyer because, even now, they are still authenticating where the video came from…. I can’t make a statement on that yet because we haven’t gotten a document that a case has been filed against me.”
Despite the involvement of a high-profile political figure, Dela Rey emphasized that the PNP maintains that disciplinary action within the organization is being pursued based on evidence, not influence. DEF