Torre shines

A tower, in the figurative sense, often represents one’s aspiration to achieve great heights. In the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, it metaphorically symbolizes human pride and ambition.

But unlike in the biblical tale where God viewed the tower built in the land of Shinar as an act of hubris, a police general named 'Torre' --a Cebuano word derived from Spanish meaning 'tower'-- has stood tall as a symbol of modesty and professionalism in the City of Davao.

In the two-week saga of attempting to serve a warrant of arrest against Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) leader Apollo Quiboloy, Police Regional Office-11 Director Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III stood out as a beacon of restraint and competence, focused on his duty to bring Quiboloy to justice.

Amid the reported negotiations for Quiboloy’s surrender, Torre on Sunday was already nearing the exact location where the pastor was allegedly hiding. Commanding over 2,000 uniformed personnel on the ground at the KOJC compound, the general could have insisted on cornering the pastor in his hideout and shooting unflattering video of him cornered and handcuffed.

That would have been a glorious culminating scene for the general and his men’s immense sacrifices in attempting to serve the arrest warrant, all the while parrying criticisms from some politicians and threats of legal action from the KOJC. It would have been his 'Rodolfo Biazon' moment --a reference to the famous AFP general who helped thwart a coup attempt in December 1989 and was subsequently catapulted to the Senate.

“We just did our roles. In the end, things turned out well,” Torre told reporters Sunday night. Things turned out well because Torre was a professional all throughout this ordeal. His nuanced skill as a ground commander allowed him to know when to step back from his tactical responses in order to allow decisions to take place at the political, legal, and policy levels.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos was right during the press conference yesterday noon. Whether or not Quiboloy surrendered is no longer important; he was already surrounded in his own compound. He was forced to give himself up under a negotiated, peaceful taking of custody by law enforcers, whether they were from the AFP, intelligence agencies, or the PNP.

Throughout the operation, Torre, as ground commander, adhered to ethical standards and ensured that all police actions were legally justified. In fact, the police’s unusual patience stood in stark contrast to the public’s impatience at seeing their officers disrespected and mocked by civilians at the KOJC premises.

The police used advanced equipment to detect human movement underground, and we can assume they had access to top-notch intelligence and insider information given the resources at their command. They could have targeted the external ventilation system of the bunker where Quiboloy and others were reportedly hiding to make it uninhabitable, which could have led to a potentially tragic outcome.

However, General Torre and his superiors, Secretary Abalos and PNP chief General Rommel Marbil, seized the opportunity to demonstrate to the public that this is a different era. There should be no more extrajudicial killings or disproportionate use of force against suspected criminals.

And if I may digress a bit, this should no longer be an era in which police officials spread false information on social media to glorify their phantom achievements. Nor should it be a time when loudspeaker music is used to drown out the speeches of peaceful protesters in front of a police regional office, as we experienced in Cebu during the Duterte administration.

On that note, we offer a snappy salute to the 'Torre' of Davao.