Torre to police commanders: ‘Don’t hide in your offices’

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III has made it clear to police commanders that they should not “hide in their offices” and instead “be seen by the community.”

This came in a statement on Thursday after the law enforcement agency had a command conference focused on its five-minute response time target and deployment of officers.

“Our police officers should be outside and not hiding in their offices. The community must see you, feel your presence, and rely on your swift response,” Torre said in Filipino in the statement.

“If you are not on the streets responding in five minutes, you are not doing your job,” the PNP chief stressed.

Torre also directed the agency’s regional communications and electronics units to ensure their radios and other equipment were functional and maintained.

According to the PNP, the command conference also saw simulation exercises by 10 units from the regional police offices of Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Central Visayas, and Davao Region to test their five-minute response time target.

READ: 8 NCR police chiefs relieved for failure to follow 5-minute response time

Last Monday, Torre relieved eight of Metro Manila’s police chiefs for failing to meet the five-minute goal. (Nelson Jr. Caparas, INQUIRER.net trainee)/coa

(2025/06/19-17:59)