Regional Director of the Police Regional Office-11, PBGen. Nicolas Torre III, stated on Wednesday that he is now on good terms with Davao City Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte.
Torre's remarks came after Mayor Duterte accused him of being a “professional liar” for allegedly manipulating Davao City police reports to falsely indicate a low crime rate in the city.
During an exclusive interview on Dos Por Dos, Torre was asked about his current relationship with the City Mayor.
"Ok na kami, we are trying to work together for the betterment of Davao," Torre stated.
When asked if he had spoken to Duterte, who had called him a "professional liar," he said that he hadn't talked to him yet and suggested disregarding the statement, emphasizing their common goal of protecting Davao.
"Hindi naman kailangang mag-usap para makipag-communicate 'di ba? There are alternative means of communication and hindi naman kami nag-iisa rito sa Davao and we are not isolated. Parehas lang kaming busy ngayon," the police chief asserted.
Addressing the accusations against officers for falsifying police reports, Torre said he had given the opposition board due process and asked them to explain the discrepancies based on the results of blotter validation.
"We are now in the process of evaluating the answers kasi ang disposition naman dyan is all on my discretion whether I would like to proceed with the summary hearing proceedings to determine the extent of liability and accountability or to use this as a teaching process para ma-improve ang aming operations," he stressed.
Meanwhile, Torre noted that despite suspending the officers involved in the issue, he received no complaints at all.
"Hinihintay ko ang official, formal na request, proseso or hakbang na gagawin nitong mga apektadong opisyal, wala naman," Torre said.
"So I would like to believe that they are also happy with the result. I'm happy to announce that yesterday sa PMA program namin, ipinakita namin ang 3-minutes response sa Davao City and we're able to do that," he fuirthered.
Torre stressed that they are currently conducting an investigation, and if the involved police officers are proven guilty, they will be removed from their positions.
During the sidelines of a Senate inquiry on the removal of 75 security escorts of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, Torre challenged the Mayor, stating that if Mayor Duterte believes he lied, he should file a case against him in court.
