FORMER Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Nicolas Torre III took his oath as the new general manager of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Malacañang announced Friday. Executive Secretary Ralph Recto administered the oath of office to Torre, who replaced Procopio Lipana. Torre’s oath-taking came a few months after he was removed as PNP chief for refusing to comply with a National Police Commission order to reverse the reassignment of senior police officials. Torre, who had served as the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief, led the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte and his transport to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, on March 11, 2025, to face charges of crimes against humanity in connection with his administration’s war on drugs As Police Regional Office 11 chief, Torre led the capture of Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Apollo Quiboloy on Sept. 8, 2024, in Davao City over charges of human trafficking and sexual exploitation of minors. Torre holds the distinction of being the first Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) graduate to be appointed as PNP chief. He entered the police service after graduating from the PNPA in 1993, ranking fourth out of 90 cadets. Torre had also served as chief of police of Mabalacat, Pampanga, and Batangas City. He was also provincial police director of Samar and the chief information officer of Police Regional Office 4A (Calabarzon), among other posts. Torre also holds three master’s degrees — Public Administration from the Philippine Christian University, Business Administration from the International Academy of Management and Economics, and Educational Management from Samar College. As MMDA general manager, Torre is expected to oversee traffic management, flood control, and urban services across Metro Manila, one of the most complex governance environments in the country.