Baste dared to charge Davao region cop chief

MANILA, Philippines — Davao region police director Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III yesterday dared Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte to file perjury charges against him if the mayor could show proof that he lied.

Torre made the challenge after Duterte called him a “professional liar” for saying that the reports of the Davao City police had been manipulated to show that the crime rate in the city is low.

Torre said if Duterte believes that he lied, the mayor should file a case against him in court as lying over an official matter could constitute a crime of perjury.

“If I lied on something official, that is perjury and that can be filed in court. He can file a case against me since that’s a criminal offense. He can even ask his father,” Torre said, referring to former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is a lawyer and a former prosecutor.

“I just presented facts. You know, the other name of public governance is politics. It can’t be separated. He happens to be a politician. Maybe he just needed to convince his constituents that he has to do what he has to do. But as far as I am concerned, I’m just doing my job,” Torre said.

He made the remarks on the sidelines of a Senate inquiry on the removal of 75 security escorts of Vice President Sara Duterte yesterday.

During the hearing of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, committee chair Sen. Ronald dela Rosa questioned the supposed excessive force used by the police during a raid on the property of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in Davao City.

Police were supposed to serve an arrest warrant against the church’s founder Apollo Quiboloy.

“There was no overkill, we did not catch him (Quiboloy). If it was overkill, he would have been caught,” Torre said.