Whether he belongs in national politics is a question MMDA General Manager Nicolas Torre III says he cannot yet answer — not because he lacks ambition, but because he wants evidence first that someone with his background can govern.
The former Philippine National Police chief made the remarks Monday during an appearance on Bilyonaryo News Channel’s “The Spokes,” where he sidestepped repeated questions about whether he intends to seek office in 2028. His attention, he said, was fixed on a narrower test: figuring out if a career lawman can run a civilian bureaucracy.
“Sa ngayon naman, nagpa-practice lang tayo rito sa MMDA. Tinitingnan ko sa sarili ko if I’m capable of doing something else,” Torre said.
That self-assessment, by his account, is a direct response to skeptics who question his fitness for anything beyond policing. “Palaging kini-criticize sa akin dahil pulis nga lang naman man ako. Anong alam ko sa national government? Yan ang sinasabi nila,” he said.
For Torre, the metric of success is concrete and immediate. He pointed to the agency’s 136 hotline as the kind of dependable service he wants to embed in the MMDA’s operations.
“I’m trying to see if I can really hack it na itong governance, gaya sa atin nga sa MMDA. We want to make sure that kapag may tumawag, may sasagot. Pag may sumagot, may darating na tao. Pag may dumating na tao, may ibibigay na tulong,” he said.
He framed that goal as a precondition for any larger ambition. “Kung itong 136 nga lang, hindi ko mapagana, how can I even dare to dream?” he said.
Torre’s public profile grew sharply after he directed the arrest of religious leader Apollo Quiboloy and subsequently took part in enforcing the International Criminal Court warrant issued against former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Shaping his outlook, too, is counsel he once received from the late comedian Dolphy, which he says still informs how he views the leap into elective politics. “‘Madaling tumakbo, paano na kapag manalo?’ Yan ang sabi ni Dolphy,” he said.
