MANILA, Philippines—Philippine National Police chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome supported Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo’s statement that the mug-shot photos published Tuesday by the Philippine Daily Inquirer and have circulated in cyberspace were “not authentic.”
“Before these photos appeared, I instructed the arresting officers and police custodians to ensure that only the presiding judge of the RTC (Regional Trial Court) Branch 112 of Pasay City or his designated representative shall have access to the booking sheets, mug shots, and fingerprint cards of Representative (Gloria Macapagal-) Arroyo,” the PNP chief told reporters at the National Headquarters in Camp Crame.
He said the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group “noted some discrepancies in published photos with original ones, therefore I categorically say these are not the authentic mug-shot photos.”
Bartolome explained he has spoken to Senior Superintendent James Bucayu, officer-in-charge of Southern Police District, earlier reported to have confirmed that the published photos were real, who denied confirming anything.
“I called him, plus the other members of the team, to my office. He said that he only mentioned that it appeared similar,” Bucayu said.
Bartolome said he has designated Senior Superintendent Joel Coronel to be the official spokesperson of the team, assisted by Senior Superintent Dionardo Carlos.
“Only one voice will be giving statements,” stressed the PNP chief.
When pressed for details on the differences between the “fake” mug shots and the authentic ones, Bartolome said the captions were not similar.
In the published images, CONG GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO and CRIM CASE # R-PSY-11-04432-CR were included but the original captions on the real mug shots were GLORIA ARROYO Y MACAPAGAL and CC NR. R-PSY-11-04432, compared the PNP chief.
Bartolome however declined to detail how different the published photos were from the original ones.
Robredo earlier issued a statement that the “fake” photos appeared to have had the booking numbers “Photoshopped” onto them.
The Pasay City RTC earlier said Arroyo’s mug shots would not be made public.
Arroyo has been allowed to continue her stay at St. Luke’s Medical Center by the Pasay City Regional Trial Court pending trial for the charges of electoral sabotage.