A Dynasty’s Desks and Daggers: Baste Duterte’s Clash with PNP Chief Torre Unveils a Legacy of Hypocrisy

By Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — June 7, 2025

IN THE Philippines, where political dynasties and police power intertwine like strangler figs, Sebastian “Baste” Duterte’s outrage over a rival’s promotion reeks of selective amnesia. His father, the jailed ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, once handed a one-star general the nation’s top cop badge—no questions asked. Now, as the Dutertes face the ICC’s reckoning, their cries of “foul play” reveal less about meritocracy than a family scrambling to retain relevance amid its unraveling legacy of impunity.

1. Clash of Titans: Merit or Vendetta in the PNP Power Play?

Sebastian Duterte’s fiery claim that new PNP Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III’s leap from two-star to four-star rank sidestepped meritocratic rules ignites a blazing controversy—but the mirror reflects both ways. Torre fires back, exposing the irony: Rodrigo Duterte propelled Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa from one-star to four-star in 2016, no eyebrows raised. Baste’s charge of favoritism, voiced in a Philippine Daily Inquirer report, collides with Torre’s defense, leaving a stench of hypocrisy. Is this a valid cry for fairness, or a Duterte dynasty lashing out? Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin insists Torre’s rise was “merit-based,” but opaque criteria fan suspicions of political gamesmanship.

Then comes the revenge angle. Torre led the team that cuffed Rodrigo Duterte in March 2025, enforcing an ICC arrest warrant for drug war atrocities, as noted by Amnesty International. Baste’s attack, thundered from The Hague, reeks of retaliation—a family feud cloaked as a crusade for justice. Is this about PNP standards, or a dynasty striking back at a cop who dared to topple their king?

2. Ghosts of Power: How Patronage and Bloodshed Haunt the PNP

The PNP’s appointment saga is a cesspool of patronage, rooted deep in Philippine politics. Republic Act No. 6975 grants presidents carte blanche to pick chiefs from “senior” officers, but loyalty often trumps skill. Rodrigo Duterte’s 2016 elevation of Dela Rosa, a Davao loyalist, from one-star to four-star rank to helm his drug war, mirrors Torre’s ascent, as GMA News recalls. This isn’t new—it’s tradition, a cycle where top cops serve as pawns of power.

The drug war’s bloody shadow darkens the stage. Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign, linked to 12,000-30,000 deaths, landed him in ICC custody for crimes against humanity, per BBC. The PNP, under Dela Rosa, was the executioner, a tool of terror. Torre’s role in Duterte’s arrest, detailed in a Rappler interview, casts him as a potential reformer—or just another player in a game where law enforcement bends to the will of the palace. The Duterte-Marcos rift fuels the fire: is Torre’s rise a Marcos power grab over a PNP once owned by the Dutertes?

3. Baste’s Battle Cry: Noble Quest or Shameless Double Standard?

Baste’s Banner: A Rally for Righteousness

Baste’s call for meritocracy strikes a chord. Public trust in institutions is battered, with patronage a festering wound. His demand for fair promotions, aired in The Hague, aligns with cries for reform. He ties Torre’s rise to a decay of democratic checks, amplified by the ICC saga, winning over nationalists who scorn foreign meddling.

The Backlash: Hypocrisy and Hidden Knives

But Baste’s stance buckles under weight. Torre’s retort, backed by Philstar, exposes the flaw: Dela Rosa’s rank-jump under Rodrigo Duterte went unquestioned. Baste’s silence then undercuts his outrage now. The timing—post-arrest—screams vendetta, not virtue. A family that bent the PNP to its will, from Davao to the drug war, can’t claim the moral high ground.

4. Cutting the Gordian Knot: A Blueprint to End the Chaos

Reform or Perish: The PNP needs a lifeline—transparent, merit-driven promotion rules. An independent panel, free of presidential whims, could vet candidates, breaking the patronage chokehold.
Unmasking Lies: Disinformation fuels the fire, with 33% of pro-Duterte online support from fake accounts. Media literacy campaigns can arm Filipinos to pierce this fog, exposing manipulated narratives.
Justice Unbowed: Torre’s role in Duterte’s arrest, a “monumental step” per Amnesty, must not derail the ICC’s mission. Thousands of drug war victims demand reckoning—the PNP’s rot can’t shield the guilty.

The stage is set: a dynasty’s defiance, a police force’s fealty, and a nation’s future hang in the balance. The rot runs deeper than one man’s rank—only bold cuts can carve a path to justice.