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Alexis Romero - The Philippine Star
June 5, 2025 | 12:00am
Quezon City Police District Director Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III attended the 121st Police Service Anniversary as guest of honor and speaker, together with Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, at Camp Karingal in Quezon City on August 30, 2022.
STAR / Jesse Bustos
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III yesterday clapped back at Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, who questioned his appointment as the country’s top cop and claimed it was not based on merit.
Sebastian, son of former president Rodrigo Duterte, alleged that Torre was named PNP chief because he is the administration’s “attack dog.”
He further claimed that Torre’s promotion allowed him to leapfrog from a two-star to a four-star general, bypassing more senior officials.
Asked to react to Sebastian’s comment at a press briefing yesterday, Torre replied: “I just respect his decision and I respect his opinion. Let’s rewind a bit to the term of his father and who his first chief PNP was. What was the rank of the first chief PNP and what was my rank before I became chief PNP?”?
“So it goes back to him, really. Seriously speaking, it goes back to him. The first PNP chief under his father was a one-star general who automatically became a four-star. Did he question that?”?
Torre was referring to Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who was a one-star general when he was named PNP chief in 2016.?
The newly appointed PNP chief earned the ire of Duterte supporters when he led the arrest of the former president as chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group on March 11.
The elder Duterte was accused of committing crimes against humanity in relation to his war on drugs, which left more than 6,000 suspects dead. He is now awaiting trial at The Hague, but his supporters claim that his arrest was illegal.
Torre said he also respects the view of Sebastian’s sister, Vice President Sara Duterte, who described his appointment as sketchy, citing alleged legal violations in the conduct of her father’s arrest.
“I respect the opinion of the Vice President and the opinion of everyone regarding the things we’ve done during the arrest of Mr. Duterte and his eventual transfer to The Hague,” Torre said.
“The findings of the Senate committee are still with the ombudsman and the Senate committee is not a disciplinary machinery nor a court that can say who is right and who is wrong; who is guilty and not guilty. So I think we will answer all those things in the proper forum,” he added.
