Duterte threatens lawsuit against CIDG chief

Former President Rodrigo R. Duterte has warned Police Maj. Gen. Nicolas D. Torre III of a possible lawsuit from his family once the police official retires from service.

Torre, the acting director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP), disclosed this during a panel discussion hosted by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Thursday.

He recounted that Duterte made the threat while being taken into custody after the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) served his arrest warrant on March 11.

Torre also reported that Duterte’s family members physically and verbally assaulted police officers during the arrest. PNP Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo confirmed that one female police officer sustained a head injury after being struck with a mobile phone by Duterte’s partner, Honeylet Avanceña.

Despite the hostility, Fajardo commended the officers for maintaining professionalism throughout the operation. She also reminded PNP personnel to adhere to protocols when expressing personal sentiments.

Fajardo assured that the police force remains in high morale following the arrest of their former commander-in-chief.