Newly installed Philippine National Police (PNP) chief PGen. Nicolas Torre III reiterated his commitment to hold accountable police officers who defy his directives or abuse their authority.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, Torre admitted that while he cannot guarantee that no police officers will commit abuses, he vowed to take firm action against those who do—including dismissing them from service and having them imprisoned.
"Hindi ko mai-a-assure sa inyo na hindi nila gagawin. Pero kung gagawin nila, i-di-dismiss ko sila sa serbisyo. Ikukulong ko sila for incriminatory machination," Torre firmly stated.
He then shared that during his time as Director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), they investigated a case involving a police officer and several subordinates.
To this day, one lieutenant colonel and nine non-commissioned officers (NCO) remain in jail after being charged for allegedly planting evidence and orchestrating a fake buy-bust operation.
"Essentially, I placed them in the Custodial Center ang kanilang trabaho ay maglinis ng selda nila araw-araw," he added.
This firm stance follows Torre’s announcement that police performance will now be measured based on the number of criminals apprehended.
In his first appearance before the media as PNP chief, Torre announced that arrest statistics will be included in police performance evaluations to strengthen efforts in maintaining public safety.
Torre also plans to direct the PNP Legal Service to improve the success rate of court cases, aiming to provide stronger legal support for police officers performing their duties.
All of this, he emphasized, will be implemented in accordance with human rights principles, with safeguards in place to prevent any form of abuse.
He firmly stated that ensuring public safety starts with taking criminals off the roads and out of the community.
"Naniniwala ako na ang primary na trabaho ng pulis ay bigyan ng kalutasan ang mga hinaing na dinudulog sa kanila," said Torre.
However, he clarified that there is no quota for arrests; rather, the key measure is the reduction or elimination of threats within the community.
