Photo credit: PCO

Philippine National Police (PNP) Spokesperson PBGEN Jean Fajardo has firmly denied viral online claims that the morale of police officers escorting former President Rodrigo Duterte was low and that some of them were even seen crying.

Speaking to the media, Fajardo dismissed the rumors, saying there was no truth to the claims that the police were emotional or sympathetic during the arrest warrant’s implementation.
“The circulating claims that our officers were sympathetic, crying during the implementation of the warrant of arrest—those are not true,” she said.

Fajardo explained that the holding area at Villamor Airbase was small and packed with people, including Duterte’s entourage and several police officers. She pointed out that members of the Special Action Force (SAF) were wearing heavy camouflage uniforms and hats under intense heat, which made them sweat profusely.

“Some footage showed someone wiping their face while looking down. They claimed that officer was crying—that’s not true,” Fajardo clarified.

She also shut down allegations that the police force’s morale had dropped, emphasizing that there was no basis for such statements.
“The claims that our officers’ morale is low—also not true,” she added.

This statement comes after social media posts speculated about the emotions of the police officers who accompanied Duterte on Tuesday, March 11, as he departed for the Netherlands.