Residents of Barangay San Vicente in Concepcion, Tarlac condemned what they described as a “martial law–like” police operation after heavily armed security forces flooded their community before dawn to serve search warrants on the residence and compound of third district Representative Noel “Bong” Rivera.
Community members said armed personnel were posted at multiple choke points as early as 5 a.m., blocking roads and restricting movement.
“Parang martial law dito sa aming barangay, ang mga sundalo ay nasa bawat kanto,” resident Christian David said, describing a deployment that startled villagers and disrupted daily routines.
More than a hundred members of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (SAF), supported by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), carried out the operation. Authorities served two search warrants covering Rivera’s residence and facilities linked to 3G Construction and Development Corporation, a company reportedly owned by the lawmaker.
Despite the scale of the operation and hours-long searches, authorities failed to recover any illegal firearms — the stated target of the warrants. No arrests were made, and no evidence was publicly presented after the raid, which ended shortly after noon.
Residents and netizens were later surprised when a major news outlet reported that two individuals had been arrested and 10 firearms seized during the operation — claims flatly contradicted by eyewitnesses and local officials present throughout the search. Community members said no arrests or confiscations occurred at any point.
It later emerged that the reported arrests and seized weapons were “drawing operations,” after law-enforcement sources confirmed that the firearms were voluntarily surrendered by the congressman and not confiscated during the raid. Critics said the blurred distinction between a surrender and an official seizure fueled confusion and raised questions about the accuracy of official reports.
Residents said the operation left children frightened and families anxious, with some structures reportedly damaged during the search. “Bakit kailangan pa nilang takutin kaming mga residente?” one mother asked, saying her children were too scared to go to school.
Rivera, who remained inside his residence during the operation, denied the allegations.
“Wala nga silang nakuhang baril base sa search warrant nila sa akin,” he said, adding that his licensed firearms were properly documented and surrendered according to regulations.
Rivera is among eight lawmakers under investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman for possible plunder and bribery linked to infrastructure projects worth billions of pesos from 2016 to 2024. He said the allegations are being addressed through proper legal channels.
As SAF and CIDG units withdrew, hundreds of residents gathered outside the compound to jeer at the exiting convoy. Concepcion Mayor Noel Villanueva later arrived at Rivera’s residence to express support amid rising tension in the community.
The Tarlac raid followed another high-profile but similarly unsuccessful operation days earlier at the Midas Hotel in Pasay City, where CIDG and National Bureau of Investigation operatives combed the premises for wanted graft suspects — also yielding no arrests or evidence.
Observers said the back-to-back failures have raised troubling questions about intelligence validation, proportionality of operations, and the credibility of post-operation official statements.
With President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s satisfaction ratings reportedly at their lowest since he took office, critics said the failed raids — coupled with conflicting narratives — have intensified calls for Acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, and AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. to review operational protocols and enforce discipline and restraint in future deployments.