Will ‘Rock Star’ Torre Offer an Alternative in 2028?

By Joey Salgado

The circumstances surrounding the sudden removal of General Nicolas Torre III as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) continues to rankle, insinuating itself into the ongoing national conversation on high-level corruption in government projects.

The official line is that Torre was insubordinate. He disobeyed an order from the National Police Commission (Napolcom) to reinstate senior police officials he had transferred as part of a reorganization. One of them was the presumed successor to former police chief Rommel Marbil, whom Torre replaced (This senior police official, known to be close to Senator Imee Marcos, has been named as Torre’s replacement at the PNP).

If my memory hasn’t fully failed me, this is the first time since the creation of the PNP that the Napolcom has intervened in its reorganization, a prerogative traditionally given to a newly-installed national police chief. Conflicting interpretations on the extent of Napolcom’s authority have since surfaced.

After basking in Torre’s halo - the Sulu-born general led a massive operation that led to the capture of fugitive pastor and Duterte ally Apollo Quiboloy, hauled off former president Rodrigo Duterte to a waiting jet bound for the Hague, and made the goon-mayor of Davao City a laughing stock - the President, reportedly at the urging of the Interior Secretary, kicked him out.

No matter how much he values Torre, or how much value Torre brings to the administration, the President cannot be seen as condoning insubordination as it reinforces the “weak leader” framing of the Duterte hordes.

A botched firearms deal?

As the story of his dismissal unfolded, an online post began to circulate detailing a supposed P8 billion firearms purchase being pushed by certain well-connected personalities. Torre was reportedly told to recommend it, but he refused.

The post, complete with screenshots, provided juicy details that added a touch of credibility, enough to prompt the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to issue a statement denying the allegations, but only to the extent that Torre was not sacked because of his refusal to recommend the purchase.

Had it not been for this online post, we would not have known about the supposedly unsolicited proposal, curiously presented as a requisition request written on a PNP letterhead to be signed by Torre.

By responding to the online post, the DILG gave the story legs. And if even part of it is true, it adds an added dimension to the Torre persona. The position of PNP chief has always been regarded as that of a pliable factotum. But Torre refused to play the game. His refusal to endorse the P8 billion firearms purchase, if true, gives us another reason to admire him. Integrity.

The PNP has always been an institution mired in controversy over dirty cops, inefficiency, operational blunders, and corruption. The Duterte administration transformed the entire police organization into an army of executioners, implementors of a bloody but pointless drug war targeting the poor. Ranking police officers have been exposed as protectors of drug syndicates or involved in drug recycling. It’s no longer an image problem. It’s systemic. And for most observers, a leadership truly dedicated to reforms is the only hope for institutional redemption. Torre offered that hope.

Token government posting

The Palace has confirmed that Torre will be offered a government position. But accepting a position would require Torre to give up his four-star rank. At the moment, he does not seem inclined to become a civilian.

Besides, Torre should be wary of any offer from the Marcos administration. At best, it would be a token appointment, an empty act meant to appease the former police chief and his growing number of supporters.

Rejoining the administration will benefit the President more than Torre; the President is able to save face, and with the former police chief heading a hypothetical anti-corruption task force, reboot his newly-minted image as a corruption buster.

This administration turned him into an overnight rock star. And Torre the rejected rock star should avoid rejoining the BBM label.

A portfolio where expectations are high sets up Torre to fail. It will also test his tolerance for the backroom deals that are the norm in government. If we accept the failed firearms deal story, Torre does not play that game.

An alternative?

Torre may decide to ride into the sunset, but that would be a shame. I hope he does not.

Torre captured the imagination of the public by displaying raw courage packaged in an amiable personality. He is the man of the moment: a man of integrity, faithful to the law, mission oriented, combat-hardened, tough and not tough talking and puro porma like the Dutertes. He is the opposite of the Vice President. And Torre is a Mindanaoan who can break the solid hold of the Dutertes on the southern vote.

The Duterte hordes and power brokers within the administration may have removed a thorn, but the country gained an alternative for 2028. Will Torre ignore the opportunity?

This article also appears in Rappler