DCPO considering charges against a pastor over false claims

DAVAO CITY – The Davao City Police Office (DCPO) is contemplating filing charges against a church pastor who previously claimed he was harassed by a group of LGBTQ individuals and police.

In a now-deleted social media post, the pastor alleged that officers from the PS2 San Pedro Police Station failed to adequately respond to his complaints following an incident at Humberto’s Hotel on October 10, 2024.

Captain Hazel Tuazon, the DCPO spokesperson, stated that the pastor, whose name has been withheld, accused members of the LGBTQ community of harassing him while he was checking into the hotel. He criticized the San Pedro Police for their lack of assistance.

However, upon investigating the pastor’s claims, police reviewed the hotel’s CCTV footage, which contradicted his account. The footage revealed that the pastor entered the hotel and was later joined by LGBTQ individuals.

A verbal dispute occurred in the hallway outside the room, escalating to a physical confrontation initiated by the pastor, who falsely identified himself as a Chief of Police with the rank of Inspector.

Initial findings indicated inconsistencies between the pastor’s statements and the evidence gathered. The footage showed that around 10:25 PM, the pastor willingly allowed one of the LGBTQ individuals into his room. About a minute and a half later, both exited to the lobby, where the argument escalated.

Further investigation revealed that the pastor allegedly struck one of the individuals after they followed him outside the hotel and attempted to seize their mobile phone, realizing they were recording the incident.

Despite his claims of being scammed and asserting that the individuals forced their way into his room, the CCTV footage showed no signs of forced entry and confirmed that he had voluntarily admitted one of them.

The DCPO is currently evaluating whether to file a complaint against Mark Demerin, who identified himself as both a police inspector and a pastor from Zamboanga City.