MAYOR Sebastian Duterte intensified his criticism of police regional director Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre by calling him a “professional liar” during the Basta Dabawenyo program on Sunday, Aug. 4.
This follows Torre’s claim that the manipulation of crime statistics to create a misleading impression of low crime rates in the city was a reason behind the recent reshuffling of Davao City Police Office (DCPO) leadership and the relief of 19 station commanders.
Duterte dismissed Torre’s claim as “senseless” and demanded a more professional justification for the reshuffling, including a proven “theoretical framework, comparative analysis, and case study.”
“Put***I**, professional jud ka, professional kang mamotbotay nga pulis (You are a professional liar police officer!),” Duterte said in his Basta Dabawenyo program on Sunday, Aug. 4.
“The residents here strive to follow the law and be disciplined, even in the smallest things. They don’t litter, and we have addressed our congestion issues. All of this contributes to our current situation,” the Mayor said
“No matter what they do, they don’t have a clear narrative. If they intentionally make the situation worse to tarnish our image as the safest city, I don’t think they can succeed unless they deliberately create situations that would change that. But Davaoeños, I know, will obey and uphold the law,” the mayor further said.
Last month, 19 station commanders of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) were relieved during a reshuffle on July 8, 22 days after Torre took over as regional police chief.
Two days later, Col. Lito Patay assumed as city police director in the morning but was replaced at noon by Col. Sherwin Butil. In the evening, Col. Hansel Marantan was named acting city director.
The mayor expressed concern that the reshuffle, which was done without consultation with his office, could jeopardize the safety of the city’s two million residents.
“I will tell you because you are jeopardizing a city of roughly more or less two million people, so what do you expect masaya ako sa ginawa niyo na (I will be happy about your) administrative movements dito sa (herein) Davao?” Duterte asked.
The exchange of criticisms marks the latest escalation in the ongoing dispute between the mayor and the regional police chief, with Duterte previously threatening to slap Torre in an earlier podcast.
Torre responded by calling the mayor’s threat “not worth responding to” and reiterating his commitment to maintaining peace and order in the city.
Moreover, the mayor said “They cannot undermine Davao City. They know we don’t fabricate our situation. We have worked hard for this for a long time. It’s not just me or the previous mayors or people in positions of power, but a collective effort of all Dabawenyos from way back.”
File Photo: Bing Gonzales
