MANILA, Philippines — Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III, who led the operation to arrest doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy in Davao City, has been appointed as the new director of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).
According to a report from Radyo Pilipinas, this is outlined in the General Orders from the Office of the Chief PNP, effective Wednesday, September 25.
Torre will replace Police Major General Leo Francisco who has occupied the CIDG post since May this year.
Meanwhile, Police Brigadier General Leon Rosete will replace Torre as the chief of the PNP Region 11.
As its new chief, Torre will lead the PNP unit responsible for monitoring, investigating, and prosecuting crimes involving economic sabotage, such as bank fraud, large-scale smuggling, estafa, dollar salting, hoarding, profiteering and other offenses of similar magnitude often committed by highly placed syndicates and organizations.
The CIDG is also mandated to probe major cases involving violations of the Revised Penal Code and to conduct operations against organized criminal groups.
Torre led the 16-day operation around the compound owned by Quiboloy which led to the preacher’s arrest on the evening of September 8.
After the arrest, the PNP noted that Quiboloy had two conditions: to board a government plane to Manila and to not see Torre’s face.
It was also under Torre’s command that 3,000 personnel of the PNP entered the 30-hectare compound owned by the preacher which is now under the supervision of its property administrator, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Torre's previous roles
Prior to his appointment in the Davao post in June 2024, Torre served as the former director of the Quezon City Police District.
It can be recalled that he received backlash from the public after conducting a press conference with a dismissed cop who was in a gun-toting road rage incident against a cyclist in August 2023.
Due to criticisms, Torre resigned from his post as the Quezon City police chief on Aug. 30, 2023, to give way for an impartial investigation.