MANILA — Malacañang has abruptly removed General Nicolas Torre III as Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and appointed Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. in his place, in a move widely seen as fallout from Torre’s clash with Interior Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla over a controversial police reshuffle.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin announced the leadership change in an Aug. 25 memorandum to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., which was made public on Tuesday.
Bersamin also signed the order removing Torre, citing the need to “ensure proper turnover of all matters, documents, and information” for the “continuous and efficient delivery of public services in the PNP.”
Although Malacañang did not disclose the exact reason for Torre’s relief, his ouster came just weeks after he reassigned several senior police officials, including Nartatez, who was removed as PNP deputy chief for administration — the second-highest post in the 228,000-strong force.
The shake-up reportedly drew the ire of Remulla, who has administrative supervision over the PNP.
Nartatez, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1992, now assumes command as PNP chief and will be the last PMA graduate to retire from the police service following the enactment of a law barring future PMA alumni from joining the PNP.
Torre, from the PNP Academy Class of 1993, had made history as the first graduate of the Silang, Cavite-based institution to head the police organization.
The appointment of Nartatez is viewed as confirmation of speculation that Torre’s decision to remove him earlier was part of a simmering power struggle between alumni of the country’s premier military and police training schools./PN
