Nicolas Torre III had always wanted to be a cop. 

This desire was the result of a combination of his upbringing and personal decision. But it took him some time to become one.

“They expected me, they expected me to be a cop. They anticipated that even before,” the police major general told Rappler in an interview. 

A native of Marbel (Koronadal City), South Cotabato, “Nick” grew up in a family of seven. His mother was a teacher, while his father, Rodolfo Molarto “Dolping” Torre, served as master sergeant under the defunct Philippine Constabulary. 

Nick is the eldest of five children and is the only who followed in his father’s footsteps in the uniformed service. Torre’s father was recognized as PC enlisted man of the year in 1979 and died a hero when he was assassinated in 1990 in Lutayan, Sultan Kudarat — his place of assignment then. It was former PC chief and director general of the Integrated National Police, then major general who would later become president, Fidel V. Ramos, who signed the recognition.

Dolping’s name is engraved in a memorial area inside Camp Quintin Merecido, located in Buhangin, Davao City. In one of his speeches, the now-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief shared his father’s motto as a uniformed officer: “Always outnumbered, but never outfought.”

The late PC officer’s remains were laid to rest at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Taking inspiration from his parents’ earnestness and love for education, Nick Torre grew up exceling in academics. He graduated valedictorian during his primary school years in Notre Dame of Marbel. In high school, he graduated salutatorian at Koronadal National Comprehensive High School. 

Even at a young age, Torre’s eyes were already set on the Philippine National Police (PNP) Academy. When he finished high school, the PNP Academy was requiring its applicants to at least have 72 academic credits from other tertiary institutions. This is why Torre enrolled at Mapua University’s electronics and communications engineering program.

The general qualified for the Department of Science and Technology’s scholarship program, which helped his parents with his school finances. 

While studying in Mapua, Torre said it occurred to him to choose to be an engineer instead. Quelling initial qualms and challenges, he chose to persevere. After earning 72 academic units, he entered the PNP Academy. 

“I really pushed myself to enter the academy. I told myself that choosing to become a cop was also a practical choice so my mother would not have to pay for anything,” said the police general. “And I will also be able to support my siblings.”

Inspiration from a hero

After the high-profile arrest of alleged trafficker and preacher Apollo Quiboloy in Davao City last year, Torre laid a wreath on his father’s grave to share his honor and success.

“By circumstance, it (father’s passing) made my choice to join the PNPA easier because I had no other choice. The family lost the breadwinner,” Torre told Rappler.

The general said his concept of justice came from his father, who, in turn, got it from Nick’s namesake. Nicolas Torre Jr. — the general’s uncle and elder brother of his father — was highly regarded by the family because he was upright and moral.

Nick recalled a story that his father shared with him when he was still a kid, and which left an imprint on him. Young and mischievous then, his father and uncle decided to steal a chicken that they ended up killing and cooking. Chastised for stealing, the two boys ended up burying the cooked chicken, uneaten. 

“They knew they committed a sin. They repented and said they cannot eat the food because it was stolen. That story made a mark on me,” said Torre. He said he was named after his uncle since his father idolized his elder brother.

“I was raised that way. I was raised to be tough and to have a strong sense of justice. My moral compass was upright,” he added.

Becoming

Three years after his father’s death, Nick finished with flying colors at the police academy. He graduated top 4 of the PNP Academy Tagapaglunsad Class of 1993. When he started his career over 30 years ago, Torre said the things he wanted to achieve as a police officer were clear to him. He told himself that once he reached the higher ranks, he would go all-out in his operations because he did not want to regret anything at the end of his police career.

In his journey to the top, Torre said he made sure he was assigned to the major islands of the country — Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. He was in the training service and took an international assignment in the United Nations. He was also previously assigned to the transportation department and once worked as an air marshal.

The general told Rappler he aced his basic and advanced executive courses, including a pistol instructor course, and a sure shock or urban counter-revolutionary warfare course, among others. He was classmates, in fact, with PNP-chief-turned-Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa during their air marshal schooling. 

“My father, my mother, both of them love studying. Of course, my mother is a teacher,” said the general.

Even while in the police service, he made sure he would study well and achieve a good standing in the order of merit.

“I am reaping the results now because I understand what’s happening around me. I believe I can think on my feet as the operational environment changes…I can adjust accordingly,” the CIDG chief told Rappler. “I also tell the police underclass, the juniors, to make sure they can think on their feet, to adjust in accordance to the changes in the operational environment.”

Under former president Rodrigo Duterte’s term in 2017, Torre was named Samar provincial director. In Metro Manila, the general once headed the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), and later served as the Communications and Electronics Service director in the PNP Headquarters. 

At the height of legal proceedings against Quiboloy, Torre was named Davao Region police chief in June 2024. Just months after, his leadership would result in Quiboloy’s high-profile arrest. 

Days after his successful operation against Quiboloy, the PNP named Torre the new chief of the highly specialized CIDG on September 25, 2024. Torre also earned his second star after he was promoted to the rank of police major general. 

Not a smooth sail

The road to the top was not easy even for someone like Torre, who was determined and had a clear plan in mind. Like any other police officer, he also had a fair share of trials and controversies. 

Torre said one of his most unforgettable assignments was when he was in Samar. There, he found himself in the middle of warring private armed groups and got exposed to killings in the province almost on a daily basis. As the provincial director, Torre tried to solve these killings by going after wanted persons and requesting warrants to lawfully operate against these groups. 

At one point, the general said, he and his officers were caught in a firefight between armed groups. While doing a hot pursuit operation against the suspects, he received a call from a retired police officer who “expressed disgust” over why he was conducting an operation against the groups. 

Torre said he was told by the same officer that many people were already killed in the province, including powerful politicians. 

“I told him, ‘Wait, what do you mean? I should just let killings continue?’” Torre said.

After his campaign against armed groups in the province, he was declared persona non grata in Calbayog City in 2018. But after some years, it was lifted when new politicians took over, said Torre. There were also some controversies involving Torre, like the incident where former cop Wilfredo Gonzales drew a gun on a cyclist, among others.

But under his present commander-in-chief, Torre said he was sure he won’t commit mistakes — he’s confident about taking orders from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., he said.

“In this administration, I am very confident that I will be given proper orders, lawful orders…. Compared to the previous administration’s “kill this, kill that” orders. I am held aback by that,” Torre explained.

His experiences — from Marbel to Davao to Crame — have prepared him to be the police general that he is today. Torre’s background enabled him to endure the weeks-long operation that led to Quiboloy’s arrest, then more recently, Duterte’s arrest and sendoff to The Hague, Netherlands where the former president had been charged with crimes against humanity over his bloody drug war. 

It took a General Torre — son of a teacher and a cop — to arrest two of the country’s most high-profile suspects. While Torre waits for his next top-level operation, life goes on for him: professionally as CIDG chief, and personally, as husband to his wife and father to his three kids. 

Asked to describe his decades-long PNP career, Torre said his motto has always been: “Learn from the past, manage the present, anticipate the future.” – Rappler.com