MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Davao City Mayor Sebastian 鈥淏aste鈥� Duterte questioned whether new Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III鈥檚 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鈥檚 drug war.
鈥淭he 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鈥檚 because this is not [a] merit-based promotion,鈥� 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 鈥済iven on merit.鈥�
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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鈥檚 comments, in another Palace briefing on Wednesday, Torre said, 鈥淚 just respect his decision and I respect his opinion. Let鈥檚 just rewind a bit to the term of his father, to who was his first Chief PNP, okay?鈥�
鈥淭he first Chief PNP of his father is a one-star that became an automatic four-star. Did he ask that? Did he question that?鈥� he stressed.
READ: Torre earned PNP post on merit, not on Duterte arrest 鈥� Marbil
Torre was referring to now-Sen. Ronald 鈥淏ato鈥� 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