DAVAO netizens had mixed reactions after a sudden power outage disrupted the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) live demonstration of its five-minute emergency response system during President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s visit to the Police Regional Office-Davao Region (PRO-Davao) on August 12, 2025.
The blackout struck just as PNP Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III, alongside Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, was preparing to connect with the Davao Oriental Police Provincial Office (Doppo) to showcase the rapid response protocol.
The five-minute response initiative was first introduced by Torre during the PNP’s 124th anniversary celebration earlier this year.
Online reactions were sharply divided. Some suspected the incident was staged to cast Davao in a bad light, while others blamed the Davao Oriental Electric Cooperative (Doreco) for its long-standing issues.
“Mao nay problema sa Doreco, perminte brownout (That’s the problem with Doreco — there are always power outages),” one comment read. Others questioned the choice of venue, posting remarks like “Of all places, why Davao?” and “Something fishy.”
Torre has been actively promoting the five-minute response initiative nationwide, reporting that from June 2 to August 10, 2025, nearly 94 percent of police assistance calls were answered within the target time.
“Every second matters,” he stressed, assuring citizens that help can reach them “anytime, anywhere.”
The incident unfolded against the backdrop of Torre’s ongoing feud with the Duterte family.
In March 2025, as the former head of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Torre led the enforcement of an International Criminal Court (ICC) “arrest warrant” against former president Rodrigo Duterte.
The tense operation resulted in Duterte’s transfer to The Hague, Netherlands, for alleged crimes against humanity.
Tensions escalated when Davao City Acting Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte accused Torre of harassment and challenged him to a boxing match. Torre accepted, but Baste failed to appear, declaring Torre the winner by default.
While public criticism in Mindanao has often focused on the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (Nordeco), residents have for years called out Doreco for poor service, frequent brownouts, and voltage fluctuations that damage appliances.
Netizens said that the blackout during Marcos’ visit has once again put the cooperative under fire.
As of press time, Doreco has yet to issue an official statement on the outage. DEF