By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan | Philippine News Agency
The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday announced that Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, the erstwhile head of Police Regional Office 11 (Davao Region), was appointed to head the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
Torre’s appointment as director of the CIDG, the PNP’s lead investigating unit, came more than two weeks after he successfully oversaw the 16-day operation that resulted in the arrest of Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy and four other wanted individuals for qualified trafficking inside the religious group’s compound in Davao.
Torre replaced Maj. Gen. Leo Francisco, who was reassigned to the Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit at Camp Crame.
Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Leon Victor Rosete was designated as Torre’s replacement at Police Regional Office 11.
PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil ordered the reshuffle, which took effect on Wednesday.
As CIDG head, Torre is expected to take the lead in hunting down former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, who has been hiding since the House of Representatives’ Quad Committee ordered his arrest.
Marbil earlier tasked the CIDG to lead in locating Roque in connection with the ongoing investigation on illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO).
Before he was replaced as CIDG director, Francisco said Roque was monitored to be hiding in exclusive residential areas where policemen could not easily gain access to.
Aside from locating Roque, the CIDG was also tasked to identify the former PNP chief who reportedly aided dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo.
Meanwhile, in a separate order, Brig. Gen. Christopher Birling was appointed to the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), while the post that he would vacate at the Police Regional Office 2 was assumed by Brig. Gen. Antonio Marallag Jr.
Marbil also installed Brig. Gen. Jaysen De Guzman as the new regional director of the Police Regional Office 10 in Northern Mindanao.
