Maria Virginia Sy

First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos attends the turn over of 28 Bagong Pilipinas Mobile Clinic for the provinces in Region IX, X, XI, XII, XIII and BARMM during a ceremony at Manila North Harbor Point in Tondo, Manila on September 20, 2024. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

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First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175265326833420240920-lisa-araneta-JC8366.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos attends the turn over of 28 Bagong Pilipinas Mobile Clinic for the provinces in Region IX, X, XI, XII, XIII and BARMM during a ceremony at Manila North Harbor Point in Tondo, Manila on September 20, 2024. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</em> </span></span></span></div><p>MANILA <strong>(UPDATED)</strong> — A police report on the death of Rustan’s executive Paolo Tantoco in Los Angeles, US appeared altered to falsely include ties to First Lady Liza Marcos, based on a copy of the original document that ABS-CBN News obtained Tuesday. </p><p>The blotter from the Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD), shared by The Philippine Post’s Filipino reporter Xenia Tupas, stated that officers were dispatched to Tantoco’s hotel room on March 8 after receiving reports that he was not breathing. </p><p>Officers then observed hotel security personnel performing chest compressions on Tantoco. The policemen later “took over with life-serving measures”, but he was pronounced dead at 12:05 noon. </p><p>The summary ended there. </p><div><strong>FAKE DETAILS ADDED IN FACEBOOK POST</strong></div><p>But a viral Facebook post showed the same document that included the following sentence that was not in the original report: “Companions of the victim were summoned to BHPD for questioning, which were Dinah Arroyo Tantoco, Liza Araneta Marcos, and Alexa Miro.”</p><p>The altered document also claimed: “The cause is initially suspected to be drug overdose. White powder suspected to be cocaine was seen scattered on tables and the floor.”</p><p>The original police report lacked any mention of Tantoco&#x27;s cause of death, which was later identified as &quot;cocaine effects&quot; in a <a href="https://me.lacounty.gov/case-detail/?caseNumber=2025-04377">separate report </a>by the Los Angeles medical examiner.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1752654462708photo-1.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="This composite image shows a screenshot of the police blotter and an apparently altered document. "/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">This composite image shows a screenshot of the police blotter and an apparently altered document. </span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>LA COUNTY CORONER: CASE STILL OPEN</strong></div><p>Tupas, the California-based reporter who secured the original report, said that the Beverly Hills police initially told her that she was not allowed to get a copy of the document. But she said that she insisted on getting a police blotter which was allowed by the Public Records Act.</p><p>The BHPD later shared with her a blotter and said it could not release any other information. </p><p>Meanwhile, the LA County Coroner said the case remained open and the report would not be available until after the case closes. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>PALACE: ORIGINAL COPY PROOF VIRAL VERSION WAS FAKE</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Wednesday that the original police blotter proves that the version posted on Facebook was deliberately altered to sow intrigue.</p><p>“With your copy, napakita natin, napatotohanan natin na ang police report na kanilang pinost sa kanilang Facebook account ay peke, digitally altered,” Castro said in an interview with ABS-CBN News.</p><p>(With your copy, we can see and prove that the police report posted on Facebook was fake, it was digitally altered)</p><p>“So una pa lamang po, pekeng video, pekeng police report, ano pa ba ang aasahan natin sa kanila? Puro sila tanim ebidensya. Puro pang-iintriga,&quot; she also said.</p><p>(From the start, they have released a fake video, a fake police report. What can we expect from them? Only planted evidence and intrigues) </p><p>On Thursday, Castro said the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles has coordinated with the Beverly Hills Police Department and found out that the police report in the viral post “was altered.”</p><p>“The altered letter contained terms that were not in line with the Beverly Hills Police’s standard language and protocol,” Castro said. </p><p>“BHPD would not include terms such as ‘suspected to be drug overdose,’ ‘suspected to be cocaine,’ and ‘summoned to BPHD,’” she said in a Palace briefing. </p><p>She also called on Filipinos to be more discerning of the posts they read on social media and to be wary about fake news peddlers. </p><p>The Palace official earlier said that they are mulling the filing of legal charges against those behind the tampered police report.</p><p>“Hindi pa po natin nakukuha pa kung ano ang nasa saloobin ng Unang Ginang, kung sya ay magsasampa ng kaso, pero ang mga law enforcement agencies natin tulad ng PNP, NBI, maaari silang mag-initiate ng investigation at kapag napakita po talaga na may nameke at may malisya sa paggawa nito, sila po ay maaaring makasuhan,” she said.</p><p>(We don&#x27;t know how the First Lady feels about filing a case, but the law enforcement agencies can initiate investigations and if those founds to have faked this with malice could face charges)</p><p>The First Lady was attending a formal event at the time of Tantoco’s death and he was not in her entourage, Castro said Tuesday. </p><p>“Nakakalungkot dahil yung mga pribadong tao na nagluluksa ay nadadamay sa pamumulitika. Ginagamit ng mga obstructionists para masira ang First Lady, ang Pangulo at ang administrasyon. Nakakahiya ang kanilang mga ginagawa,” Castro said.</p><p>(It is sad that private citizens in mourning are dragged into politics. Obstructionists are using it to discredit the First Lady, the President, and the administration. What they are doing is shameful)</p><p>“Ang sinasabing police report na nai-post sa Facebook ay isang malaking kasinungalingan,” the Palace official said. </p><p>(The police report posted on Facebook is a big lie)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/13/palace-no-truth-first-lady-liza-marcos-was-held-in-us-or-anywhere-else-1152">Palace: No truth First Lady Liza Marcos was &#x27;held&#x27; in US or anywhere else</a></div><div><strong>— with Pia Gutierrez, ABS-CBN News</strong></div>

<p>A police report on the death of Rustan’s executive Paolo Tantoco in Los Angeles, US appeared altered to falsely include ties to First Lady Liza Marcos, based on a copy of the original document that ABS-CBN News obtained Tuesday.</p>

A police report on the death of Rustan’s executive Paolo Tantoco in Los Angeles, US appeared altered to falsely include ties to First Lady Liza Marcos, based on a copy of the original document that ABS-CBN News obtained Tuesday.

Blotter altered to link Liza Marcos to Tantoco death

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Blotter altered to link Liza Marcos to Tantoco death

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 16, 2025 12:26 PM PHT

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Updated Jul 17, 2025 01:40 PM PHT

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