PH Consulate in LA finds supposed report on Tantoco death 'altered' —Palace

The Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles verified with American authorities the veracity of the police report on Rustan's executive Paolo Tantoco's death and found out that it was "altered."

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro disclosed this during a press briefing. She mentioned that the Department of Foreign Affairs, through the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles, coordinated with US police on the matter.

''Some of the terms used in the purported letter were not in line with the BHPD's (Beverly Hills Police Department) standard language and protocol. BHPD would not include terms such as 'expected to be drug overdose,' 'suspected to be cocaine,' and 'summoned to BHPD,''' Castro said.

''With reference to Mr. (Rigoberto) Tiglao's post on the screenshot of the purported report surrounding the circumstances of the death of Mr. Paolo Tantoco in Los Angeles, the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles had verified with the Beverly Hills Police Department on the veracity of the alleged report and found the police report posted by Mr. Tiglao was altered,'' she added.

Asked for reaction on Castro's latest remarks, Tiglao said he had emailed the BHPD to ask if the report was authentic and he said an official, Lt. Chris Coulter, replied to him and said: ''The document you have provided was altered and that information was NOT released by the Beverly Hills Police Department.''

Tiglao said he received a second email from the BHPD, stating that what the real police report did not contain was mainly the sentence “Companions of the victim were summoned to the BHPD for questioning, which were Dinah Arroyo Tantoco, Liza Araneta Marcos and Alexa Miro.”

''I found Coulter’s reply revealing. He didn’t deny that the three were summoned for questioning and didn’t claim it as 'false.' He referred to it as 'that information was not released [sic] or verified by the BHPD,''' Tiglao said.

He also asked for the whereabouts of the First Lady when the party, attended by Tantoco, took place at the Beverly Hills. 

Castro on Wednesday denied that the First Lady stayed in the same hotel as Tantoco, adding that she had security provided by the US and a Presidential Security Group detail. 

The Palace official also presented the activities attended by the First Lady on March 8, showing that she was with Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco.

''Makikita po ninyo sa screen na mayroong konsyerto para sa Filipino. Makikita ninyo sa larawan din, Secretary Christina Frasco, March 8 iyan ginanap, hapon hanggang gabi. Paano masasabi ng mga obstructionist na ito, ng mga Facebook peddlers na ito ang patungkol sa nakita nilang mga tao doon sa vicinity, kaya po iyan ay idinagdag lamang..." Castro said.

(You will see on the screen that there was a concert for Filipinos. You would also see Secretary Christina Frasco. That was on March 9, from the afternoon until the evening. How can these obstructionists say, these Facebook peddlers, what people saw in the vicinity? That portion was just added.)

''Nandito naman po iyon sa Facebook ng Unang Ginang. Pero kahit ito po ay nasa Facebook, at ito po ay nairereport naman, pilit nilang binabago ang kuwento at nakakalungkot, dahil kapwa Filipino ang kanilang niloloko para sa kanilang personal na interes,'' she added.

(All these are on the First Lady's Facebook. But even if this is already on Facebook and these are being reported, they kept on trying to change the narrative. It is sad because they are trying to deceive fellow Filipinos for their own interest.)

Castro on Wednesday denounced efforts to link the First Lady to the death of Tantoco in March.

She branded as "a huge lie" the portion of a Beverly Hills Police Department report that was posted on Facebook.

The said portion adverted to "drug overdose" and the companions of the deceased getting summoned for questioning. She also disclosed that the Palace was studying to take legal action against those behind the allegations against the First Lady. —VAL/RF, GMA Integrated News