Police Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III was designated as the new head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in a latest reshuffle in the Philippine National Police (PNP) which also affected four other senior officers.
Torre’s designation as director of the CIDG, the lead investigating unit of the PNP, came more than two weeks after his successful management and supervision of the 16-day operation that led to the arrest of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy and four other wanted persons for qualified trafficking inside the religious group’s compound in Davao City..
Torre replaced Police Maj. Gen. Leo Francisco who was re-assigned to the Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit at Camp Crame. On the other hand, Police Brig. Gen. Leon Victor Rosete was designated as Torre’s replacement as director of the Police Regional Office 11.
The reshuffle was ordered by PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil and took effect on Wednesday, September 25.
In a separate order, Police Brig. Gen. Christopher Birling was moved to the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) while the post that he would vacate at the Police Regional Office 2 was assumed by Police Brig. Gen. Antonio Marallag, Jr.
Marbil also installed Police Brig. Gen. Jaysen De Guzman as the new regional director of the Police Regional Office 10 in Northern Mindanao.
Redemption
Torre resigned as director of the Quezon City Police District last year over a controversy involving a road rage suspect after he bashed on social media for allegedly extending special treatment to the suspect who is a former policeman.
This, after Torre facilitated a press briefing at the QCPD headquarters at Camp Karingal, a move that did not sit well with the netizens since the road rage suspect was accused of pulling out a gun and bullying a bicycle rider.
He was on a floating status since then but was given another break after Marbil named him as the director of the Police Regional Office 11 in Davao Region.
It was during his stint as regional director of Davao Region police that he earned the ire of Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte after he relieved the top police officials of Davao City for allegedly tinkering with police data to paint a good image of the City.
Torre also castigated Davao City police officials for slow response on criminal incidents, and later introduced a three-minute response time, a program which he started when he was still the QCPD director.
Hello, Harry!
As he already earned the reputation of being a nightmare of fugitives, Torre is expected to take the lead in hunting down former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque who has been hiding since the House’s Quad-Committee ordered his arrest.
Marbil earlier tasked the CIDG to take the lead in locating Roque in connection with the ongoing investigation on illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO).
Before he was replaced as CIDG director, Francisco said Roque was monitored to be hiding in exclusive residential areas where policemen could not easily gain access to.
Aside from locating Roque, the CIDG was also tasked to identify the former PNP chief who was accused of aiding dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo.