DFA: Beverly Hills cops won’t write report that way
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has confirmed that the purported Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) report earlier posted online concerning the death of business scion Juan Paolo Tantoco was “altered.”
Among the telltale signs that it was doctored were some phrases appearing in the report that were “not in line with the BHPD’s standard language and protocol,” the DFA said.
In a Palace briefing on Thursday, Malacañang press officer and Undersecretary Claire Castro said the DFA, through the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, California, coordinated with the BHPD to put the matter to rest after first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos was also dragged into the issue.
‘Expected to be overdosed’
“The Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles had verified with the Beverly Hills Police Department on the veracity of the alleged report, and found that the police report posted by (newspaper columnist Bobi) Tiglao was altered,” Castro said, quoting the DFA statement.
“The altered letter contained terms that were not in line with the BHPD’s standard language and protocol,” the statement added.
The DFA said the authentic BHPD report on Tantoco’s death did not use phrases that appeared in the altered document, such as “expected to be overdosed,” “suspected to be cocaine,” and “summoned to BHPD.”
Legal actions
The disavowed report also listed “Dinah Arroyo Tantoco,” apparently referring to Tantoco’s wife Dina Arroyo, who is also the Malacañang deputy social secretary; “Liza Araneta Marcos” and “Alexa Miro” as the supposed companions of Tantoco when the police found him dead at his room at The Beverly Hilton hotel on March 8.
Castro on Tuesday said Malacañang was studying the legal actions it could take over the latest use of “fake news” to malign the first lady.
“It seems timely, but it will still be reviewed. Things shouldn’t remain this way-where just because a journalist or a part of the media spreads lies, our fellow Filipinos might believe them. This is truly disheartening and embarrassing,” she said.
