MANILA, Philippines — Former Philippine National Police chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III on Wednesday clarified that a video of him urging protesters to remain peaceful was recorded in September 2025 after it was recirculated online with captions claiming it was a message in support of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) rally along EDSA.
The video, originally uploaded on Sept. 20, 2025, was recorded a day before the Sept. 21, 2025 demonstrations and showed Torre urging rally participants to be careful, responsible and peaceful, saying that true change begins not with violence but with unity.
“It was recorded on the eve of the September 21, 2025 demonstrations, during a completely different political situation. Removing that context changes its meaning and creates a false narrative,” Torre said.
He said he welcomed honest disagreement but stressed that public discourse should be based on complete and truthful information.
“I welcome honest disagreement. Democracy depends on the free exchange of ideas. But it also depends on something equally important: presenting facts completely and truthfully,” he said.
Torre, who now serves as general manager of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), said he pinned the original, unedited Sept. 20, 2025 upload so the public could watch the full video instead of relying on recycled or selectively edited clips.
“Truth deserves context. And our public discourse deserves honesty,” he said.
