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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Solons praise QCPD chief for stepping down amid 'road rage driver' brouhaha

Solons praise QCPD chief for stepping down amid 'road rage driver' brouhaha

Published Aug 31, 2023 11:28 am

At A Glance

  • Ranking congressmen have praised Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III for voluntarily stepping down from his post as Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director just days after essentially holding a press conference for controversial dismissed cop, Wilfredo "Willie" Gonzales. 

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Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Daniel Fernandez (left), Antipolo City 2nd district Rep. Romeo Acop (Facebook)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ranking congressmen have praised Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III for voluntarily stepping down from his post as Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director just days after essentially holding a press conference for controversial dismissed cop, Wilfredo "Willie" Gonzales. 

Santa Rosa City lone district Rep. Daniel Fernandez and Antipolo City 2nd district Rep. Romeo Acop both believe that Torre took the high road. 

In a House Committee on Public Order and Safety hearing Wednesday, Aug. 30, Torre told solons that he wants to "give way for the better and deeper investigation" on the Gonzales case. 

"When I saw the great backlash against me in the media, the reason why I talked to my Chief PNP, through the RD-NCRPO, to the [chairman] of Napolom and SILG, I asked them to remove me from my post as district director of QCPD, to give way for the better and deeper investigation of this matter," Torre said. 

Fernandez, the committee chairman, said he was "surprised" by the general's move. 

"I admit that I was a bit surprised that you have resigned [from] your position... it is something that I can say na medyo sumasaludo ako sayo (I somewhat salute you for that)," he said. 

"We have conducted a lot of hearings like this, nabubwisit lamang kami kapag yung ating mga iniimbitahan dito na resource speakers eh abot hanggang langit ang kanilang pagsisinungaling at pagdedepensa ng kanilang sarili (normally we just get pissed off whenever the invited resource speakers lie through their teeth and defend themselves to the high heavens). 

"You being a good general and have said something like this, I think we have learned something from this," the lawmaker from Laguna said. 

Acop, a vice chairman of the panel and himself a former police general, was more snappy with his compliment to. 

"I would like to laud General Torre for placing the organization's interest over and above his personal interest," Acop said. 

The erstwhile QCPD chief was bashed by netizens after he called for a press conference Sunday, Aug. 27 giving Gonzales a platform to speak. 

In the now viral "road rage driver" video, Gonzales, 63, is seen hitting an unarmed cyclist on the head before drawing and cocking his registered Glock 17 on him. This took place after cyclist collided with Gonzales' red Kia Rio sedan (plate number ULQ-802) near the boundary of Quezon City and Manila in Welcome Rotonda. 

In the presser with Torre, Gonzales essentially played the "victim card" and criticized social media for portraying him as a bad person. 

Gonzales has since been sacked by the office of Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Ricardo Rosario. He was Rosario's bodyguard.

 

Related Tags

dan fernandez QCPD Chief road rage Romeo Acop
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