Former PNP chief Nicolas Torre. SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES

Police General Nicolas Torre has been relieved as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), according to a Malacañang order signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin. The order, dated August 25, stated: “You are hereby relieved as Chief, PNP effective immediately.” Copies of the relief papers were shared with Palace reporters on Tuesday (August 26). Malacañang later named Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. as his replacement.

Torre, who did not attend Tuesday’s turnover rites at Camp Crame, sent word that he accepted the decision. Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla presided over the ceremony, saying the move was made “in the national interest.”

“This was not an easy choice, but it was made in the national interest. The President is committed to ensuring a unified direction and collaboration across all areas in his cabinet, particularly those responsible for delivering security, peace, and order,” Remulla told reporters.

Torre, who was appointed PNP chief in May, previously made headlines for his charity boxing match against acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte. Duterte failed to show up, and Torre was declared the winner by default. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. even mentioned him in jest during his State of the Nation Address, calling him the country’s “new boxing champion.” But beyond the light moments, Torre’s leadership has been marked by high-profile operations. In September 2024, as Davao police chief, he led the arrest of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy inside the Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound as the latter faces charges of child abuse and trafficking. He also served as ground commander in March when police enforced a controversial Interpol warrant of arrest against former president Rodrigo Duterte. However, Torre recently came under fire for unilaterally relieving his second-in-command, Police Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., without clearance from higher authorities. Former PNP chief and senator Panfilo Lacson criticized the move. “Torre acted beyond his authority unilaterally relieving his second-in-command, Nartatez,” Lacson said in a statement on Tuesday. He stressed that the designation and relief of PNP command group members must be approved by the president or coordinated with the National Police Commission and the Department of the Interior and Local Government. “Even when former President Joseph Estrada gave me the blanket authority to run and manage the PNP during my time as chief PNP, I did not exercise absolute authority over the designations of the members of the Command Group,” Lacson added. Despite his criticism, Lacson emphasized that Torre’s relief is ultimately the prerogative of President Marcos Jr. “What is important at this point is a smooth transition and transfer of command and authority so as not to hamper the overall mission of the PNP,” he said. Senator Imee Marcos also revealed she had warned Torre against his decision to demote Nartatez. “I called him out and said: ‘Hey, why is it like that? That will come back to you, be careful.’ I didn’t know I would turn out to be right,” she told reporters.

Nartatez, a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1992, becomes the 32nd PNP chief and will serve until his mandatory retirement in March 2027. He has held key positions including Finance Service director, Calabarzon regional commander, NCRPO chief, and most recently Deputy Chief for Administration.

In his first remarks as PNP chief, Nartatez vowed continuity while strengthening visibility and crime prevention: “The Philippine National Police is a dynamic organization. We are covered by orders and covered by policies. And as a fine Filipino public servant, na minsan ay isang sundalo, susunod lang tayo kung ano ang ibibigay na utos, especially, this is a general order.”

He also pledged to maintain Torre’s “five-minute response” campaign, which sought faster police reaction times to emergencies.

Torre’s ouster comes less than three months after he assumed office on June 2, succeeding General Rommel Marbil. His short tenure is among the briefest in PNP history. While Malacañang clarified that Torre faces no criminal or administrative cases, his defiance of Napolcom’s reshuffling order was the breaking point.

The PNP assured the public that operations will continue smoothly despite the leadership change. “The police organization remains committed to its mandate of serving and protecting the Filipino people,” it said in a statement. ICA/CAM/Expat Media

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