Erstwhile PNP chief Nicolas Torre III (right) and his incoming replacement Gen. Mekencio Nartatez Jr. (left). (Photo from Rappler and Bombo Radyo Roxas)
There is an enigma surrounding the relief of General Nicolas Torre III as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and sources in Malacañan claim powerful people in the Cabinet of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. (PBBM) are behind the move.
General Torre was relieved from his post based on an order from the chief executive dated on August 25 the current year. This was confirmed the following day by executive secretary Lucas ‘Luke’ Bersamin.
Torre, appointed by Marcos in May, was in the post for only close to three months.
He was the police general behind the high-profile arrests of former president Rodrigo ‘Rody’ Duterte in March and religious leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy in September last year.
Torre—Marcos Jr.’s fourth PNP chief—had one of the shortest terms among PNP chiefs. He is three days short of hitting his three-month mark being at the helm of the PNP.
Torre became the first PNP chief from the PNP Academy. He bested other top candidates, including those who came from the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) like the then-number 2 man, deputy chief for administration Lieutenant Gen. Melencio Nartatez Jr.
He was the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group’s director before his PNP chief appointment. He also served as the Davao Region’s police chief (at the height of Quiboloy’s arrest) and Quezon City Police District director.
Before Torre’s relief, there had been reports regarding supposed friction brewing between the PNP and its administrative boss, the National Police Commission (NaPolCom), over some decisions made by Torre in the revamp of the police organization.
Particularly highlighted in the row was Napolcom’s order to reverse the appointments of generals and colonels. No less than Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and NaPolCom chairperson Juanito Victor ‘Jonvic’ Remulla confirmed that the commission, which has administrative control over the national police, overturned some of Torre’s approved reassignment, including Nartatez’s supposed reassignment from being the PNP’s no. 2 cop to police commander of Western Mindanao.
Meanwhile, in the latest developments, Nartatez is now set to takeover Torres post as recommended in the letter of Bersamin to Pres. Marcos Jr.