Police have arrested 16 individuals who allegedly posed as members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Tarragona, Davao Oriental.

According to the Police Regional Office-Davao (PRO-11), the group arrived in Barangay Tubaon morning on Monday, May 5, 2025, which reportedly alarmed residents in the area.

“Ang mga report po ng ating mga taong bayan ay hindi po sila kilala sa lugar na iyon. They were suspicious looking, and they were alarmed don sa mga taong yon,” PRO-11 Director, Brigadier General Leon Victor Rosete, said in a video statement.

When police officers responded, the 16 individuals allegedly introduced themselves as AFP members and claimed they were there to maintain peace and order.

However, the AFP informed the police that there is no deployment in the area, prompting authorities to arrest the 16 individuals.

Rosete said that the 16 were allegedly sent by a candidate in connection with the upcoming election.

The 16 are facing charges for alleged usurpation of authority under Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code.

PRO-13 maintained that the arrest was legal after a lawyer claimed that it was illegal and baseless.

In the video that circulated online, the lawyer said the 16 individuals, who are members of a political group, were arrested without a warrant or legal basis.