Newly appointed Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III made it clear on Wednesday that under his leadership, unlawful practices such as extrajudicial killings, evidence planting, and arrest quotas have no place in the police force.
In a Malacañang press briefing with Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro, Torre emphasized that the PNP will adhere strictly to the law, reflecting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call for a professional and service-oriented police institution.
“There will be no quotas on arrests. Planting of evidence is a grave offense. If anyone does that, I will dismiss them from the service and have them jailed for incriminatory machinations,” Torre warned.
Torre also underlined the importance of upholding the right to life. “Suspects should be brought in alive. No killings. We do not condone wanton murders or extrajudicial killings. Arrests must be done with respect for life, unless officers are in immediate danger,” he said.
The police chief said he is working on shortening police response time for emergencies, aiming to bring it down from five to three minutes within the next three months through the deployment of Quick Response Teams across Metro Manila.
Torre also addressed the use of confidential funds, saying they can be allocated transparently to reward officers who legally apprehend suspects and actively participate in court trials. “When a police officer attends hearings and helps put criminals behind bars, that officer deserves more than just thanks, they deserve promotion,” he said.
On human rights, Torre said coordination with the Commission on Human Rights remains a priority, stressing that arrests must be justified and not simply used to inflate statistics. “There’s no sense in arresting someone who is not a criminal,” he added.
In a separate radio interview, Torre revealed that the arrest performance of individual police officers will now play a role in their promotion metrics. However, he clarified this is not a quota system but a way to reward effective law enforcement. “Arrests are a personal responsibility,” he said.
But not everyone is on board with Torre’s leadership.
Vice President Sara Duterte openly criticized Torre’s appointment, calling it “sketchy” in light of recent Senate findings on alleged violations involving high-ranking police officials tied to the controversial arrest of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte.
“If you are aware of that, you will not support him as chief of police,” she said, comparing Torre’s appointment to that of House Speaker Martin Romualdez, whom she accused of past bribery allegations.
Her brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, echoed her concerns, claiming Torre’s promotion leapfrogged senior officials and branding him as an “attack dog” of the current administration.
Torre, however, reminded critics that former president Duterte appointed now-Senator Ronald dela Rosa as PNP chief in 2016 despite being a one-star general at the time.
