Torre walks the plank

CTALK

- CITO BELTRAN

Yesterday, a friend asked me to be his sounding board to bounce things off regarding a conversation he just had with the recently removed PNP chief Nic Torre.

My friend reached out to General Torre to extend his sympathy for the shocking and embarrassing manner by which General Torre was removed as chief of the Philippine National Police.

I told my friend that the case has been connected to the issue of Torre recalling promotions of PNP officers and reassigning several. My friend strongly opposed the claim, saying General Torre had advised and asked PBBM's permission regarding the issue.

Then he shared that upon being informed of his removal as Chief PNP, General Torre was given two directives and his response, both requiring compliance by noon today.

The first was to accept the position of czar or chief investigator of a Commission to be formed regarding the flood control projects anomalies. The second was to submit a letter stating Torre's desire for early retirement instead of in 2027. I suppose the "retirement letter" is needed to clear the deck for the incoming PNP head.

Word is already out in the grapevine regarding the offer to make Torre the czar of the Commission, but only Torre or Jonvic Remulla can confirm or deny if Torre was indeed asked to submit the request for early retirement.

My friend advised General Torre to "accept the position of czar for the meantime until something better is available," and asked me how I viewed the whole matter, given that General Torre was not the most popular and humble man in town.