Torre, the cop behind Rody Duterte, Quiboloy arrests is now PNP chief

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MANILA, Philippines — Once he resigned for giving airtime to a road rage suspect, now he is the highest-ranking police officer in the country.

Police Major General Nicolas Torre III has been appointed as the new chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin announced Torre’s appointment on Thursday, May 29, during a press conference in Malacañang.

Torre will assume the post on June 2, succeeding Gen. Rommel Marbil, who served as PNP chief for a year.

Torre led the two-week operation that culminated in the arrest of doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy, who surrendered to the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Sept. 8, 2024.

He was also the highest-ranking police officer involved in the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte. Torre read Duterte his Miranda rights before the latter was boarded onto a plane bound for The Hague.

Torre’s previous assignments

Before becoming CIDG chief, Torre held several key positions in the PNP.

In January 2019, he was appointed regional director for operations of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO). He later became chief of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD).

Torre came under fire for hosting a press conference with a retired policeman who brandished a gun at a cyclist in Quezon City. He resigned from his post a month later following public backlash.

After his resignation, he served as director of the PNP Communications and Electronics Service.

In June 2024, he was appointed acting director of the Davao Regional Police Office, where he led the operation against Quiboloy. On Sept. 24, he was reassigned to head the CIDG by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Reactions to his appointment

Torre’s appointment was welcomed by several public figures, including lawmakers.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez called Torre a "no-nonsense leader with the courage, integrity, and operational command needed to lead the force at a crucial time."

“General Torre is stepping into this role with a record that speaks for itself. He is a principled and fearless officer — the kind of leader the PNP needs to restore credibility, enforce the law without fear or favor, and protect the Filipino people with professionalism and respect,” Romualdez said.

Incoming congresswoman Leila de Lima also expressed confidence in Torre, saying his appointment “comes at a time when the country yearns for institutions that serve with integrity, uphold the rule of law, and protect the rights and safety of every Filipino.”

“I trust that he will bring the same clarity of purpose and steadiness of hand in his stewardship of the police force, guided not by political allegiance but by his sworn duty to the Constitution and the Republic,” De Lima said.