A retired Air Force general linked to a group of former officers critical of the Marcos administration was taken into police custody Monday morning after landing at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, authorities confirmed in an Inquirer.net report.
Criminal Investigation and Detection Group officials said Romeo Poquiz was apprehended shortly after his flight from Thailand touched down, following the implementation of a court-issued warrant tied to an inciting to sedition case. Police records show the arrest was carried out just after 8 a.m., as Poquiz cleared airport arrival procedures.
The warrant was issued by Branch 77 of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, according to CIDG–National Capital Region chief Col. John Guiagui, who briefed reporters later in the day at Camp Crame. He said the arrest team immediately transferred Poquiz out of the airport and into CIDG custody.
Poquiz is identified by investigators as the convenor of the United People’s Initiative, an organization composed of retired military personnel that has publicly urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to step down in connection with alleged corruption issues.
By mid-morning, Poquiz had arrived at the CIDG–NCR headquarters, where he underwent standard booking procedures, including documentation, fingerprinting, and a medical check. Police said the court handling the case has set bail at ₱48,000.
Tensions surfaced shortly after the arrest as Poquiz’s lawyers raised concerns over access to their client. Counsel Virgilio Garcia said they were initially blocked from speaking with Poquiz and were left uncertain about where he was being taken.
“We were insistent. We wanted to talk to our client. They wouldn’t let us through… We wanted to make sure that our client would be transported safely and to know where he would be brought. We were practically chasing after them,” Garcia said in Filipino during an interview at Camp Crame.
Garcia added that their legal team intends to pursue administrative and criminal complaints against the arresting officers.
Another member of Poquiz’s defense team, Ferdinand Topacio, placed blame on the national leadership, alleging political motivation behind the case. “We blame the executive branch for weaponizing the Department of Justice to persecute and attack those whom they view as enemies of the government,” he said in Filipino.
“Instead of jailing the corrupt, he jailed those going after the corrupt,” Topacio added.
Police officials disputed claims of irregularity. Guiagui said the lawyers arrived after the arrest had already been executed and had yet to obtain airport security clearance, preventing immediate access to their client.
In a separate briefing, Acting Philippine National Police chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the arrest followed legal procedures and was based solely on a standing court order.
Asked whether the case reflected a broader move against dissent among retired uniformed personnel, Nartatez responded in Filipino, “It’s not personal.”
