Manila: The Philippine National Police (PNP) has clarified that the recent reassignment of 65 police officers from the Davao City Police Station is not connected to any political controversies currently unfolding in the country. During a press briefing held at Camp Crame, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo emphasized that the officers were relocated due to procedural reasons rather than political influence. According to Philippines News Agency, these officers, previously relieved for allegedly tampering with crime statistics, have been reassigned to various regions including Mimaropa, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Bicol, and Cagayan Valley. Of the officers reassigned, 32 are Police Commissioned Officers (PCOs) and 33 are Police Non-Commissioned Officers (PNCOs), some of whom served as station commanders in Davao City. Davao City has recently been in the spotlight due to Vice President Sara Duterte's controversial remarks about President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and other high-ranking officials. However, Brig. Gen. Fajardo reiterated that the reassignment of the officers was a standard process and unrelated to the political landscape. She noted that the officers were involved during the tenure of Police Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre as director of the Police Regional Office 11, and their reassignment was only recently implemented. The officers were initially relieved and are under investigation for maintaining a "double blotter," a practice that obscures the true crime statistics, leading to skewed data. Torre, now heading the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), explained that this manipulation made it difficult for the PNP to accurately assess the crime situation in Davao City. Torre further elaborated that some officials were deliberately underreporting incidents to present a false sense of peace in their areas of responsibility. He stressed the importance of using accurate data to ensure that police programs effectively address the real situation on the ground. The ongoing investigatio n and reassignment aim to discipline officers involved in these practices and correct the discrepancies in crime reporting.