Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III. 鈥擣ile photo from a videograb by Ni帽o Jesus Orbeta | Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� New Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III on Monday said appointments in the agency during his term would be 鈥渂ased on merit.鈥�
鈥淯nder my leadership, action will be rewarded. Pogi points are not enough,鈥� Torre said in his speech after taking command of the national police force in a ceremony in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
In colloquial Filipino, 鈥減ogi points鈥� refers to men鈥檚 actions that earn admiration.
鈥淎ppointments will be based solely on merit, and only the most competent will be entrusted with the right positions in the right places. Deliver excellence in your police work鈥� And you will be recognized and rewarded,鈥� Torre also said.
He also unveiled his plans for the PNP, which are centered on speeding up emergency response, reinforcing unity and morale among its ranks, further modernizing its technology, and holding erring officers accountable.
READ: Torre unveils plans for PNP: 3-minute emergency response, tech upgrades
鈥淩espond to the public swiftly, unite and uplift the morale of your fellow public servants, and hold yourself and others within the ranks accountable. Just real talk. No need for endorsements under my leadership,鈥� Torre said.
鈥淥f course, I have to reiterate that all of these actions must be done within the ambit of the law, evidence-based, and rights-respecting. I challenge each and every member of the PNP to be louder than me, not only in words but also in action,鈥� he added.
READ: PNP chief Marbil 鈥榦ptimistic鈥� Torre will 鈥榮ustain gains鈥� vs crime
Appointment
Torre succeeded 30th PNP Chief Gen. Rommel Marbil, who retired on Monday.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin announced Torre鈥檚 appointment as the nation鈥檚 top cop in a Palace briefing last Thursday
Before becoming the 31st PNP chief, Torre was both the director of the Davao Region police and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.
READ: Torre earned PNP post on merit, not on Duterte arrest 鈥� Marbil
In September 2024, he led the enforcement of the arrest warrant for preacher Apollo Quiboloy, who faces allegations of child abuse, sexual abuse, and qualified trafficking.
Last March, Torre was the ground commander of the police team that arrested former President Rodrigo Duterte and handed him over to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, to face allegations of crimes against humanity during his administration鈥檚 drug war./mcm