Appraising CPNP Nick Torre

NOT everyone may agree on every government appointment, but for someone who has worked closely with him, I believe the newly appointed Chief of the Philippine National Police (CPNP), Police General Nicolas D. Torre III, is a rare breed of public servant—one who acts without fear or favor, and who leads with calm resolve in moments of crisis.

From May 2023 to September 30, 2024, I had the privilege of serving as Chief of Staff of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) under the leadership of then-Executive Director, Undersecretary Paul M. Gutierrez. Our mandate was clear: to seek justice for slain journalists and safeguard the rights to life, liberty, and security of media practitioners.

It was during this time that I first encountered then Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Director, PBGEN Torre, shortly after the June 29, 2023 shooting of photojournalist Rene Joshua Abiad.

By the first week of July, Torre had swiftly organized a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG), launched a manhunt, and arrested the gunman by July 7. I was new to government then and mostly observed what was happening.

And what I witnessed was striking: Torre personally reviewed CCTV footages, traced escape routes, and ensured all physical evidence—bullet casings, getaway vehicles—were accounted for. He was methodical, decisive, and relentless.

But like any man in service, he faced adversity. Just weeks after the Abiad case, Torre resigned as QCPD Director in the wake of public backlash for allowing dismissed police officer Wilfredo Gonzales—caught in a road rage incident involving a cyclist—to participate in a press conference.

“I really regret that deeply,” Torre publicly said. “I apologize to the Filipino people for those actions.”

He was then  reassigned to the PNP’s Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit (PHAU), in other words, placed on ‘floating status.’

Around October 2023, while PTFoMS was completing its interagency committee meet, Usec. Gutierrez reached out to Torre to see if he would be willing to represent the PNP in our task force.

Torre agreed immediately—no hesitation, no conditions. Unfortunately, bureaucracy and rank considerations prevented the appointment from pushing through.

Torre eventually found redemption as Regional Director of Police Regional Office XI (PRO 11) in Davao.

In my final month in government, I worked with him again during the KOJC standoff in Davao City. Media workers covering the incident had been harassed—some even injured. I convened the PTFoMS Special Investigation Team with the City Prosecutor, NBI Regional Director, and Torre.

While national attention was focused on Quiboloy, Torre ensured that the safety of the press was not overlooked. He oversaw intelligence and case buildup, never forgetting the journalists on the ground.

Even after I left government, I visited Camp Crame as a private citizen and caught up with old friends—including then CIDG Director, now CPNP, PGEN Torre.

Over ginataang igat and shared stories of old cases—and yes, a few old Jollibee commercials that got us teary-eyed—we reconnected.

Now, as he assumes the highest leadership post in the PNP, I look back not just with admiration, but with conviction.

The country has a Chief who has fallen, risen, and learned. A Chief who knows the burden of command and carries it with humility.

In CPNP Torre, we see not a perfect man, but a principled one. And in times like these, that makes all the difference.