New sheriff in town

There is a new sheriff in town. We have a new PNP chief, Police Gen. Nicolas Torre III. He is the first graduate of the Philippine National Police Academy to become PNP chief. Previous PNP chiefs graduated from the Philippine Military Academy. And like all PNP chiefs, he is promising sweeping reforms. But let me first mention his promise to establish closer ties with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). He is the first PNP chief to go to the CHR, make a courtesy call, and attend their flag-raising ceremony. We know, based on past years, that the PNP and CHR often disagree. There are more conflicts and clashes than cooperation. Gen. Torre III stated that the CHR is their “boss in protecting rights.” Richard Palpal-latoc, CHR chairman, welcomed Gen. Torre’s statements and promises. Will we see the end of extrajudicial killings? And will the PNP offer cooperation in current CHR investigations?

Gen. Torre clarified that there is no reward or quota system for police officers who make arrests. What he wants is for the police to be performance-oriented. Talk is still rife regarding a reward system for police officers who kill suspects supposedly in the line of duty during the previous administration. He also promised to hold corrupt officers in the PNP accountable. Hopefully.

Gen. Torre also wants to speed up the response time when called, such as during a crime or an emergency. What he wants is for the police to be able to respond within three minutes. This is a big undertaking.

He also wants the shifts of police officers and personnel in the PNP to be eight hours instead of 12. This allows them to rest more and spend more time with their families. He is also considering removing precincts so police officers can walk their beats. I can’t remember a time when policemen were walking their beats. I can already imagine police officers complaining about this. Recently, the National Capital Region Police Office director, Maj. Gen. Anthony Aberin, filed charges against police officers for abandoning the help desk and using their cellphones while on duty.

Gen. Torre III also wants an inventory of the PNP’s gear and wants to invest in hi-tech equipment to help fight criminality. The PNP needs more than just guns to be effective in curbing crime. But can I say first, are the body cameras being fully utilized by the PNP as has been promised by several previous chiefs of the PNP? Perhaps Gen. Torre should start there.

Those are all good reforms, if implemented. Ambitious, if I may say so. Gen. Torre's term is until March 2026, so he has less than a year to implement all his reforms. We wish him well.