PNP earns points from Trillanes for ‘bloodless’ Du30 arrest
The methodical handling of the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte could redeem the “good image” of the Philippine National Police, said former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Saturday.
In a radio interview, Trillanes praised PNP Chief Gen. Rommel Marbil and Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre, head of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), for showing professionalism even when Duterte’s relatives and lawyers tried to prevent them from implementing the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest order.
“So far, we see (the PNP) as very professional compared to the time of Duterte when (police officers) themselves were involved in killing ordinary Filipinos whom they were supposed to protect,” Trillanes said in the “Usapang Senado” program on dwIZ.
Redemption of sorts
“This has become a redemption of sorts for the PNP,” he said. “They recovered the good image of the PNP.”
The former Navy officer, one of Duterte’s fiercest critics, was among those who had filed the complaint for crimes against humanity against the disgraced former leader before The Hague-based international tribunal.
Duterte was arrested by the PNP and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) shortly after his Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong landed at Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 9:20 a.m. on March 11.
But while the arrest may be bloodless, it was not that smooth for Torre, the commanding officer of the operation who read the Miranda rights to the former president.
Torre earlier this week related how he endured verbal and physical abuse from the former president and his family.
“Duterte himself reminded me that his children and his relatives will sue me after my retirement or even before my retirement. He threatened me,” Torre said in a briefing on Thursday.
He added that he was pushed and shoved by Honeylet Avanceña, Duterte’s common-law partner, while their daughter Veronica “Kitty” Duterte cursed at him.
“Honeylet pushed and shoved me and it was a strong shove when we met in the hallway. And you can see in videos that her daughter cursed at me,” Torre said.
A now-viral video also showed Kitty Duterte telling Torre: “Tell us where you’re taking him, you s*n of a b*tch!”
“We can let that slide,” Torre was heard saying in reply.
Before he was appointed CIDG chief, in September 2024, Torre also led the successful manhunt for televangelist Apollo Quiboloy in connection with his criminal cases now being heard in the Pasig and Quezon City courts.
The former president’s arrest thus marked the second time for Torre to enforce an arrest warrant on a powerful, long-untouchable figure from the Dutertes’ bailiwick, Davao City. —WITH A REPORT FROM NESTOR CORRALES
