Admin lawmakers laud CIDG chief

CEBU, Philippines — Senior administration lawmakers had all praises for the police general who quietly led the capture of then fugitive and now opposition senatorial candidate pastor Apollo Quiboloy for standing up against threats by former president Duterte to kill 15 senators.

Gen. Nicolas Torre III, head of the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, deserves to be commended for filing complaints of inciting to sedition and unlawful utterances against Duterte over his remarks to kill senators so that his allies would win in the polls.

The police general also stood firm against the proliferation of fake news and misinformation in social media platforms, where he particularly filed a complaint against a Cebu-based vlogger who was accused of spreading false information.

“In today’s digital age, truth matters more than ever. We commend the CIDG chief for his commitment to upholding facts and holding accountable those who deliberately mislead the public,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement sent to the media.

Reps. Robert Ace Barbers, Bienvenido Abante, Zia Alonto Adiong, Paolo Ortega V and Jay Khonghun have warned about the dangers of misinformation, saying it sows confusion and weakens trust in democratic institutions.

“Fake news is a serious threat to our society. It misleads people, distorts public discourse and puts lives at risk. Those who spread false information should be held responsible for the damage they cause, whether to private individuals, public servants or the Filipino people as a whole,” they said.

Barbers (Agusan del Norte second district) serves as the lead chairman of the quad comm and heads the House committee on dangerous drugs, while Abante (Manila sixth district) is chairman of the House committee on human rights and co-chairman of the House quad comm.

Adiong (Lanao del Sur first district), Ortega (La Union first district), and Khonghun (Zambales first district) are among the key leaders of the “Young Guns” group in the House of Representatives.

Torre was appointed as the chief of the CIDG in September 2024. Prior to this, he served as the police director of the Davao Region, where he spearheaded operations against detained senatorial candidate Quiboloy, a known ally of Duterte, who has been accused of human trafficking.

The administration lawmakers from the House of Representatives also emphasized that in the spirit of President Marcos’ “Bagong Pilipinas,” justice is served through legal means and due process, not through violence or extrajudicial actions.

“In this new era of governance, those who break the law are not silenced or killed. There are no extrajudicial killings here. Instead, we hold them accountable through the legal process,” they added.

Authorities are currently investigating an alleged data breach and misinformation campaign involving individuals linked to protest actions in Cebu Saturday, including vlogger Ernesto “Jun” Abines. (CEBU NEWS)