Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte has criticized former Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III, questioning whether a person whose "term was measured in hours, not achievements" has credibility when giving lectures on international law or arrests.
The controversy arose after Torre stated in a recent interview that he would not hesitate to arrest Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa if directed to do so in connection with a supposed International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Duterte slammed Torre’s comments, highlighting the brevity of his tenure as PNP Chief.
“Before Mr. Torre fantasizes about ‘arresting’ anybody, he should first arrest the memory gap of the Filipino public — because almost no one remembers he was PNP Chief. His term was so short, it can be measured in hours rather than achievements,” Duterte wrote.
“Torre’s stint was not a leadership term — it was an intermission, a placeholder, a bookmark in a chapter that nobody read. The only thing shorter than his service is the patience of the PNP officers who wondered how someone so politically fragile ended up in the top post," he added.
Duterte also questioned Torre’s sudden assertiveness, describing it as “bitterness masquerading as relevance.”
He further argued that short-term leaders should not issue long-term threats.
Torre, who led high-profile arrests during his brief term, including former President Rodrigo Duterte and Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, has presented himself as an authority on matters of international law.
“Now he wants to parade himself as an expert on international law? As if a few days in office suddenly makes him the oracle of sovereignty. The Philippines is NOT an ICC member. Everyone knows that — except apparently Torre and whoever is coaching him to speak like a frustrated hall monitor trying to sound important," Duterte, however, dismissed the claim.
The debate comes amid conflicting reports regarding an ICC warrant against Dela Rosa. While Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla recently mentioned the existence of a warrant, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla stated that no red notice has been issued by Interpol.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) also confirmed it has received no notification from either the ICC or Interpol regarding the senator.
