Despite the Police Regional Office 11 (PRO 11) insisting that the deployment of additional personnel at Davao International Airport (DIA) on Sunday was merely a simulation exercise, speculation persisted that it was preparation for the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte upon his return from Hong Kong.
The former president departed from Davao City to Hong Kong on Sunday morning to attend the “Pasasalamat kay FPRRD with OFWs” event in Wan Chai, Hong Kong.
Reports indicate that Duterte is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 via Cathay Pacific and is expected to reach DIA later that evening.
In a statement, PRO 11 strongly denied the “misleading” and “false information” circulating on social media regarding the incident at DIA.
“The recent activity at Davao International Airport (DIA) was a Simulation Exercise (SIMEX) conducted by the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 11 (RMFB 11) as part of the 100-day operational procedures in preparation for the upcoming 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE),” PRO 11 clarified.
The exercise aimed to enhance law enforcement readiness for various scenarios, including potential security threats and unforeseen events.
On Sunday morning, Dabawenyos at DIA observed dozens of police operatives in full battle gear, with some reportedly speaking in the Ilocano dialect. An unusual number of police checkpoints were also noted around the city.
This occurred amidst rumors of an alleged arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Duterte for crimes against humanity related to his administration’s anti-drug war campaign. Additionally, a complaint of inciting to sedition was filed by Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III over Duterte’s remarks about killing 15 sitting senators to favor Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) candidates during a campaign sortie.
Councilor Luna Maria Dominique Acosta, chairperson of the Committee on Peace and Public Safety of the Davao City Council, confirmed on Monday that her office was not informed of any simulation exercise conducted in the city on Sunday.
“As far as we know, there was no prior coordination with any office of the city government of Davao, contrary to the practice already established in previous exercises. If there is a simex in Davao, we hope that all involved agencies will coordinate with the city government. Peace and public safety is a shared responsibility, and all activities should be well-coordinated among different agencies of the government,” Acosta stated.
She also urged Dabawenyos to remain calm but vigilant.
PRO 11 spokesperson Major Catherine dela Rey explained on Sunday that the simex is part of the 100-day operational activities, which began on February 1, 2025, and will continue until May 12, 2025. She described it as a planned routine security preparation.
Dela Rey added that the simex is being implemented across different units and included testing personnel’s three-minute response time to various situations.
However, when questioned by Davao media about the lack of a public advisory—standard procedure for such exercises—and the extended duration of the simex from early morning to evening, dela Rey was unable to provide a definitive answer.
Meanwhile, PRO 11 encouraged the public to rely only on verified sources for accurate information and to report any misleading content that could cause unnecessary concern.
