Baste Duterte doubts Torre; PNP chief says Dela Rosa also jumped ranks
MANILA, Philippines — Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte questioned whether new Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III’s appointment was based on merit.
Duterte made the remark against Torre last Saturday, speaking to supporters in The Hague, The Netherlands, where his father is detained to face the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity during his administration’s drug war.
“The government now is not based on merit. Look at what happened. You have a chief PNP that jumped up three ranks to become Chief PNP. It’s because this is not [a] merit-based promotion,” Duterte said.
The PNP chief, who was then a police major general (two-star rank) and director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, led the team that enforced the ICC arrest warrant for the elder Duterte last March.
Torre was announced the next PNP chief in a Palace briefing last Thursday by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who stressed that the promotion was “given on merit.”
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Torre officially assumed office as PNP chief last Monday, also gaining the rank of police general (four-star rank) with the role.
When asked to respond to Duterte’s comments, in another Palace briefing on Wednesday, Torre said, “I just respect his decision and I respect his opinion. Let’s just rewind a bit to the term of his father, to who was his first Chief PNP, okay?”
“The first Chief PNP of his father is a one-star that became an automatic four-star. Did he ask that? Did he question that?” he stressed.
READ: Torre earned PNP post on merit, not on Duterte arrest – Marbil
Torre was referring to now-Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
Dela Rosa was a police chief superintendent (one-star rank) who once served as chief of the Davao City Police Office.
Then-President Duterte chose Dela Rosa to be his first PNP chief with the rank of police director general (four-star rank) in 2016. /cb
