Netizens on TikTok and Facebook (FB) have posted a video claiming to show Police Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III back in Davao City for a police operation this March. The video is old. It shows a raid at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound last year.
On March 18, FB users and pages posted a 59-second clip supposedly showing Torre, director general of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, wearing full gear and giving directions to other police officers.
One FB post carried the caption:
“JUST IN | Gen. Torre nasa Davao. Ano na naman kaya ang plano nila (Gen. Torre in Davao. What are they planning to do again).”
The video was reposted on TikTok with the text:
“TORRE DAVID NA SA DAVAO NGAYON, SINISIGAWAN NG MGA TAGA DAVAO NG BIO, DIWATA AT BANGA DASURB HAHAHAHA (TORRE DAVID IN DAVAO RIGHT NOW. THE PEOPLE OF DAVAO ARE SHOUTING BIO, DIWATA AND BANGA. DESERVED).”
From the results of reverse image searching and cursory searching, VERA Files Fact Check found out that the video was taken in 2024 when authorities, including Torre, went to the KOJC compound to serve an arrest warrant for Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. The televangelist was accused of sexual abuse and human trafficking.
A TikTok user uploaded a copy of the video on Aug. 24, 2024.
The clip was not taken after the March 11 arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte, contrary to what the posts were suggesting.
The Philippine Information Agency also debunked the circulating false posts in a March 20 update on X (formerly Twitter).
#MagingMapanuri | Fake: Kumakalat ang video ni CIDG Chief PBGen. Nicolas Torre III na umano’y papasok sa bahay ng pamilyang Duterte sa Davao City.
Totoo: Kuha ito noong Agosto 24, 2024, sa pag-aresto kay Pastor Apollo Quiboloy sa KOJC Compound, Davao City. pic.twitter.com/vG0UhIdctu— PIA Desk (@PIADesk) March 20, 2025
The video with the wrong context circulated four days after Duterte’s initial hearing at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where he is facing trial for alleged crimes against humanity in connection to his bloody war against illegal drugs.
VERA Files Fact Check has debunked several instances of disinformation related to Duterte’s arrest and his ICC case – including a video of Torre dancing, which was manipulated through artificial intelligence.
Six posts by FB users and pages including Duterte Pinas (created on Sept. 5, 2016 as News Feed Society), BATAS Duterte (Jan. 18, 2017) and Amazing Creatures Captured (created on Feb. 19, 2025 as dXwingZ Vlogs), collectively garnered 2,748 reactions, 1,501 comments, 1,543 shares and 366,000 views. A copy posted on TikTok by user @ppropeller23 also garnered 300 reactions, 77 comments, 120 shares and 20,000 views.
