Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Police General Nicolas Torre III has been relieved of his position after serving less than three months in office. The development was confirmed in a letter dated August 25 from Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, directing Torre to carry out a proper turnover to ensure the continuity of police service.
Torre assumed the post on June 2, 2025, succeeding Rommel Marbil, and made history as the first PNP Academy graduate to be appointed as chief of the national police force. During his short term, he introduced a five-minute rapid response policy in Metro Manila, aimed at boosting crime-fighting efficiency.
His career, however, has been marked by headline-grabbing operations even before becoming PNP chief. As head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), he led the controversial arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte in March 2025 following an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant. Months earlier, in September 2024, he spearheaded the high-profile operation against religious leader Apollo Quiboloy and his associates.
Torre also attracted public attention beyond law enforcement when he accepted a charity boxing match challenge from Davao City acting mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte. The match, scheduled for July 27 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum to raise funds for calamity victims, ended anticlimactically when Duterte failed to show up, handing Torre the win by default.
