Torre defends police visibility, invites Sara to visit PNP

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III has invited Vice President Sara Duterte to visit the PNP to see firsthand the importance of maintaining police presence on the streets.

"The Vice President is welcome to come and visit us, and we are more than happy to show her how important the deployment of our policemen in key areas in our quick response team,” Torre said as conveyed by Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro during the Malacañang press conference on Friday.

Torre affirmed that the PNP respects all opinions, including those of the Vice President.

"We respect everyone’s opinion on how the PNP should do their job. Of course, we are willing to listen to the opinions which are credible and make sense,” he said.

The PNP chief also acknowledged Duterte’s comments on modernizing police operations and expressed gratitude for her feedback.

“We appreciate the Vice President’s insight on how we, the PNP, should do our policing so we can be there whenever we are needed by the community,” Torre said.

Castro said Duterte's remarks have reached Torre, who clarified that the police force has already integrated modern technologies into its operations in addition to strengthening police presence within communities.

“We have already incorporated technologies such as drones and CCTVs in our operations. These have enabled us to build a strong foundation for our quick response,” Torre said.

The Vice President earlier criticized the Philippine National Police (PNP), accusing them of incompetence and claiming they lacked information regarding alleged threats to her life.

She also dismissed the Palace’s “pulis sa kanto” (police at the corner) strategy, describing it as "outdated" and reminiscent of a 1970s and 1980s mindset.

Duterte then called for a modernization of the PNP to improve its effectiveness.