MANILA, Philippines – A storm of controversy erupted as Vice President Sara Duterte sharply criticized the new chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III. She called his appointment “too sketchy.” The Vice President dropped this bombshell during a chance interview. The setting was The Hague, Netherlands. This is the same city where her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, faced the International Criminal Court (ICC). The choice of location, whether by design or coincidence, casts a long, dark shadow over her words. It turns a political statement into something deeply personal and nationally significant.
Maj. Gen. Torre now leads the country’s entire police force. But this top job comes with immediate, high-level condemnation. This sharp disapproval from the nation’s second-highest leader hints at deep cracks at the very top of the government. It suggests a rocky road ahead for the new police chief, who starts his job under a cloud of suspicion.
The Ghost of an Arrest: A Shadow Over the Badge
The heart of Vice President Duterte’s “sketchy” claim is clear. Maj. Gen. Torre is “the same police officer who led the arrest of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.” This isn’t just a line on a resume; it’s a raw, open wound.
That arrest was far from quiet. It was a “tense confrontation,” a “12-hour standoff”. Former President Duterte himself reportedly told the arresting officers, “you have to kill me to bring me to The Hague”. This paints a picture of defiance and high drama. During this tense period, emotions ran high. Torre himself recounted that one of his officers “sustained a head injury after being hit hard with a cellphone” by the former president’s common-law wife. He also said Mr. Duterte’s daughter was “cursing me with expletives”. The former president also refused to be fingerprinted, a standard procedure for arrested suspects.
These vivid details show the personal bitterness born from that day. And Maj. Gen. Torre was at the center of it all. The arrest itself was monumental. It was based on an ICC warrant for alleged “murder as a crime against humanity”. These charges stem from the brutal “war on drugs.” During this campaign, “thousands of Filipinos were killed”. This context makes Torre’s role in the arrest even more charged. The man who enforced an international court order against a former president, accused of such grave crimes, now heads the national police. This is a twist so sharp it could cut. For some, it might look like justice. For others, it’s a deep insult.
Senate Scrutiny: A Cloud of "Multiple Offenses"?
Vice President Duterte says her worries are not just personal. She points to a Senate investigation into her father’s arrest. She claims this probe found that Maj. Gen. Torre “could be held accountable for multiple offenses related to the arrest.”
Adding another layer to this, the Senate investigation was led by Senator Imee Marcos. Senator Marcos is known as a “staunch Duterte ally.” This fact raises questions. Were the findings purely objective? Or were they influenced by political loyalties? The probe reportedly examined the roles of the ICC, Interpol, and various government agencies in the apprehension of the former president.
But if a Senate committee, whatever its leanings, did flag “multiple offenses” by Torre, a serious question hangs in the air. Why was he then promoted to the country’s top police post? This unanswered question fuels the “sketchy” label. It suggests that warnings might have been ignored, casting doubt on the selection process for such a critical role. If serious accusations were raised by a legislative body, their lack of resolution before such a significant promotion creates an unsettling silence.
A Disturbing Echo: The Speaker and the "Heavy Luggage"
Vice President Duterte did not stop with Maj. Gen. Torre. She drew a striking comparison. She likened Torre’s appointment to that of House Speaker Martin Romualdez. She believes Romualdez “should not have been made head of the chamber.” Why? Because he is “implicated in a bribery case in the United States.”
The allegations against Speaker Romualdez are serious. They involve claims made in a lawsuit by 26 Capital Acquisition Corp. The company alleged that executives from Universal Entertainment, involved in a dispute over the Okada Manila casino, brought “heavy luggage” to a meeting with Romualdez. This was allegedly an attempt to improperly influence him. The goal was supposedly to get Romualdez to pressure the nation’s Supreme Court in the casino dispute. One court filing even mentioned “potential bribery of governmental officials”.
By linking these two appointments, Vice President Duterte seems to be painting a larger picture. It’s a picture of a pattern, suggesting that questionable figures are finding their way into high office. The vivid image of “heavy luggage” makes the accusation against Romualdez stick in the mind. This tactic aims to show that the concern isn’t just about one man, but about the ethical compass of the current leadership. It brings international legal troubles crashing into domestic political fights.
A Grim Forecast: "Our Country Will Not Become Any Better"
When asked what might happen with the PNP under Maj. Gen. Torre’s leadership, Vice President Duterte’s response was bleak. “Well, I don’t think our country will become any better or improve because of this,” she stated.
These are chilling words from the country’s second-in-command. They are not just a critique; they are a prophecy of failure for the nation’s police force under its new leader. Such a strong statement can send ripples of unease through the entire police organization. It can also shake public trust. If the Vice President has no faith, how can ordinary citizens? This deep pessimism is rooted in the painful history connecting her family to the new police chief.
Gathering Storm: What Lies Beneath the "Sketchy" Surface?
The appointment of Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III is clearly more than just a new name on an office door. It’s a flashpoint. A Vice President is openly at war with the choice. The new police chief is a man whose past actions are deeply entwined with the dramatic arrest of her father for the ICC. Add to this the alleged Senate findings of “multiple offenses” and the Vice President’s comparison to another official mired in bribery allegations. The situation is indeed “sketchy.”
The central question remains: Why this appointment, given the firestorm it was bound to ignite? What calculations were made? The shadow of the “war on drugs,” with its thousands of deaths and accusations of crimes against humanity, looms large. This appointment drags that dark chapter back into the harsh light of day.
This decision could be seen as a bold assertion of power by the current administration. Or perhaps it’s a sign of a deep political divide. What is certain is that the appointment of Maj. Gen. Torre has stirred a hornet’s nest. The full implications of this “sketchy” decision are yet to unfold. But a storm appears to be gathering over the Philippines, and its intensity is anyone’s guess. The nation watches, wondering what truly lies beneath the surface of this controversial choice.
