‘Adhere to human rights’: Marcos promotes PNP's Torre, Fajardo, 37 others
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has promoted 39 high-ranking officials in the Philippine National Police (PNP), including Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III and Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo.
Torre played a key role in the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte and his subsequent turnover to the International Criminal Court (ICC). He conducted the arrest himself at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, reading Duterte his Miranda Rights at Villamor Airbase.
Meanwhile, Fajardo oversaw Duterte’s arrest that day, drawing criticism from Duterte’s ally, Sen. Bong Go.
Marcos led the oath-taking ceremony for the 39 star-ranked PNP officers on Monday, April 7, at Malacañan Palace. The ceremony included four police lieutenant generals, 11 police major generals, and 24 police brigadier generals.
“As you don your new badges, remember you are not only rising in rank, you are also rising in responsibility. You are stepping up into a position that demands no less than the highest standards of ethics, professionalism, and respect for human rights at all times,” Marcos said during his speech.
“Always carry in your hearts your oath to our great Republic—to faithfully, honestly, and unequivocally uphold and defend our Constitution,” he added.
Directives. Marcos said law enforcement actions must always be grounded in what is right and what is in the law. He urged the PNP leadership to uphold human rights—a principle historically scrutinized within the police force.
“Balance the demands of law enforcement while preserving institutional integrity, adhere to human rights, and have effective leadership to address multifaceted issues that surround our country today,” Marcos said.
Zooming out. The president’s remarks come against the backdrop of controversies surrounding Duterte’s administration and the police force.
During his presidency, Duterte openly vowed to protect police officers accused of killing suspects. More recently, he admitted instructing them to provoke suspects into resisting arrest as an excuse for lethal force.
Human rights activists believe this effectively gave officers a license to kill without due process.
Duterte’s drug war saw the deaths of at least 6,000 people, but rights groups say that the number could reach as high as 30,000 — and with only four known convictions related to extrajudicial killings.
The former president now faces charges of crimes against humanity at the ICC in relation to the drug war.
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