Police Major General Nicolas Torre III, the current director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), has officially been appointed as the new chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin confirmed on Wednesday.
Torre steps into the top police post following a string of controversial yet high-impact operations that catapulted him to national attention. Among these was his leadership in the arrest of televangelist Apollo Quiboloy, who had been evading authorities in Davao City amid serious charges including human trafficking. The tense standoff at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound ended with Quiboloy’s eventual surrender under Torre’s command.
In another major operation, Torre also worked closely with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) on the execution of the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for former President Rodrigo Duterte. The move was historic and drew both praise and scrutiny across the political spectrum.
