PNP Chief Torre vows to give public ‘peace of mind’

National

GEN. Nicolas Torre, the newly installed chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), vowed that under his leadership, the public will have peace of mind.

As he officially took over the 235,000-strong PNP from retired Gen. Rommel Marbil on Monday, June 2, Torre vowed that the anti-criminality campaign will be intensified and police response will be quick.

If trouble erupts, expect the police to respond in three minutes, Torre assured.

Torre enforced the three-minute response policy when he was the director of the Quezon City Police District.

“This is not just a benchmark, it is a lifeline. Every call for help deserves immediate action and attention. We will be present, you’ll see us in the streets, in communities, at marketplaces and in every place where our presence is needed to give you peace of mind,” Torre said during the change of command ceremony at Camp Crame.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who led the turnover ceremony, challenged Torre to “keep the police ranks clean and honorable.”

“Speed up investigations into cases against police officers who break the law so we can deliver justice as soon as possible,” Marcos said in a Philstar report.

“When people are in need, there should be police that respond immediately. Let’s make Filipinos feel that there is a police force that is ready to help and defend them at all times,” the President added.

Torre said the three-minute response, unity and morale within the ranks, accountability and modernization will define his tenure as PNP Chief.

“A divided force cannot defend a nation, thus we will strengthen our core from within guided by discipline, mutual respect and leadership by example,” he said.

To ensure a sustained police visibility, Torre is eyeing a three-shift schedule in which eight-hour shifts will be implemented at police stations instead of the current 12-hour shifting schedule.

The three-shift schedule will also allow police officers to spend more time with their families, Torre said.

Torre also warned that police commanders will be sanctioned if they refuse or fail to provide journalists in their areas of jurisdiction with necessary information regarding issues or cases.

“If there’s a problem in a region or province and the media would ask for my statement, I would call out the provincial director and tell him the media should be calling him and not me because he’s there already,” he said.