Breakdown in power supply during 5-minute demonstration
In an unexpected turn of events, a power outage disrupted the live demonstration of the Philippine National Police (PNP)’s 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 incident occurred just as PNP Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, and others were showcasing the rapid response system. The blackout, attributed to the Davao Oriental Electric Cooperative (Doreco), has once again put the power company under fire from netizens, who have long criticised its power reliability issues.
Online reactions to the power outage were sharply divided, with some suspecting foul play, but most pointing to Doreco’s well-known power problems as the cause. No official or credible source has connected the incident to any personal or political feud involving the PNP Chief or the Duterte family.
The five-minute response initiative, first introduced by Torre during the PNP's 124th anniversary celebration earlier this year, aims to ensure rapid assistance in emergency situations. Torre, as former head of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), has been actively promoting the initiative nationwide.
Amidst the disruption, Torre emphasised the importance of quick response in emergency situations, stating, "Every second matters." He also reported that nearly 94 percent of police assistance calls were answered within the target time from June 2 to August 10, 2025.
In a separate development, tensions between Torre and Davao City Acting Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte escalated, with Baste accusing Torre of harassment and challenging him to a boxing match. However, Torre accepted the challenge, but Baste failed to appear, declaring Torre the winner by default.
As of press time, Doreco has yet to issue an official statement on the outage. The power outage during President Marcos' visit has once again highlighted the need for improved power reliability in the region.
[1] Source: Various news outlets [2] Source: PNP press release
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