CEBU CITY – The Bohol Police Provincial Office debunked reports circulating online that a prayer rally meant to show support for former President Rodrigo Duterte was sabotaged by cutting off power supply at the venue.
The BPPO said there was nothing irregular when electricity went off during a prayer rally on Monday night, March 17, in Trinidad, Bohol.
It added that allegations that Bohol Gov. Aris Aumentado had something to do with the incident were baseless.
Police Capt. Nicolas Aparilla, chief of the Trinidad police, said no one went to their office to report about the incident.
The BPPO said personnel of the Trinidad Municipal Police Station were deployed in the gathering to ensure the safety of rallyists.
It confirmed that a power interruption took place during the rally but there was no evidence or enough basis to point to the governor or any individuals were behind the sudden blackout.
A statement from Boheco II said the power interruption occurred due to a short circuit caused by a gecko that touched the lines of F3 Trinidad Substation. Power was restored about an hour later.
The power interruption, which started at around 8:30 p.m., affected the towns of Trinidad and Bien Unido and some parts of Ubay.
The BPPO asked the public to be cautious against “fake news.”
“Ang atong kapulisan makanunayon nga mo imbestigar arun masuta ug unsay tinuod nga balita ug arun dili mabiktima ang katawhan sa sayop na impormasyon (Our police are ready to investigate to uncover real news and protect the people from false information),” the BPPO said.