Davao City Police Office (DCPO) acting City Director Col. Hansel Marantan denied a message circulating online involving police officers plating drugs in a checkpoint operations in Davao City dismissing it as “fake news.”
This developed after a netizen recently shared online her alleged experience and advised motorists and car owners to be alert to the new modus operandi of the police in the city.
“On my way home today at around 8: 15 pm, as soon as I took a right turn from Star Gate towards the old terminal, a policeman signaled me to stop. As I stopped, he asked me to open the trunk of the car. I opened the trunk from inside and was about to step down, but the policeman said, “Ok Ok may go. I started my car and started driving, but something struck my mind, as from my rearview mirror, I saw one of the policemen immediately on his phone. I went a bit ahead and finding a good road light stopped my car. Switching off the engine I went and opened my car trunk,” the post said.
“Guess what… I was shocked to see two small zip-lock pouches with white crystals inside. I was numbed but just decided to throw it away and thanked God for saving me from such rascals who would have caught me in a drug-related case,” the post continues.
The netizen also advised car owners not to open their car trunks from the inside, for anyone, even at malls.
“Always step down and open the trunk with keys and permit searching under your own supervision. Kindly share this as much as u can, to save people,” it said.
In a statement, Marantan clarified that there were no new policemen assigned to Davao City at this time.
“The post lacks any factuality since there is no such “Stargate” in Davao City and no specific location where the drugs were allegedly disposed of,” Marantan said.
Marantan alleged that the message he considered ‘fake news’ was determined to be rehashed and posted several years ago.
He also said that DCPO is now conducting its own investigation regarding the said ‘fake news’ and its alleged spreader.
Marantan also cautioned the public to be wary of ‘fake news’ circulating on social media and be responsible for sharing information or content across the platform.
“It is important to note that this message appears to be a part of a text propaganda originating from individuals who want to disrupt the city’s peace and order. Davao City Police Office remains unwavering in its commitment to enforcing the law with fairness and integrity. Our mission and vision to serve and protect the community with no malice will continue to guide us,” Marantan said.