In a recent statement, Maj. Gen. Nicholas Torre III, the head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), clarified that he received no instructions from either the Senate or Malacañang to initiate legal action against former President Rodrigo Duterte. Torre emphasized that the decision to file charges of inciting sedition and unlawful utterances stemmed from his role as a law enforcement officer, not from external pressures. He made these remarks during a press conference at Camp Crame, asserting that the police’s duty is to uphold the law, and he saw a clear violation in Duterte’s statements about killing senators.
Torre also mentioned that he had informed PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil about his intention to file the charges, receiving a go-ahead to proceed with his duties. He stressed the importance of the police taking action before others, especially when the violation is evident and widely publicized. The complaints were filed as part of a case buildup with the Department of Justice (DOJ), and Torre noted that the extensive nature of Duterte’s comments necessitated a thorough complaint, leaving it to the prosecutors to decide which charges to pursue.
The CIDG chief further remarked that Duterte’s statements should not be dismissed lightly and that it was time for the former president to face accountability. Torre also criticized Duterte for not fulfilling promises made to police officers involved in his drug war campaign, questioning the justification of actions taken under Duterte’s leadership. He highlighted Duterte’s controversial remarks about rape and taking responsibility, questioning whether these were also meant as jokes.
Duterte’s comments about killing senators to create vacancies for his endorsed candidates in the upcoming midterm elections were the basis for the charges. Despite claims by Duterte’s former legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, that these were mere jests, Torre insisted that such statements about killing are serious matters. He concluded by emphasizing the need to adhere to the law in the ‘New Philippines,’ rejecting the shortcuts that may have been tolerated in the past.