Questions over the sudden removal of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III were raised online following Malacañang’s announcement.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Tuesday, August 26, confirmed that the cop behind the arrests of former president Rodrigo Duterte and detained televangelist Apollo Quiboloy, was removed from his post on August 25.
“You are hereby relieved as Chief, PNP effective immediately. For the continuous and efficient delivery of public services in the PNP, you are hereby directed to ensure proper turnover of all matters, documents and information relative to your office,” a Palace document reads.
Malacañang did not disclose the reason for Torre’s removal, who was only appointed as the country’s top cop on June 2, barely three months ago.
He was replaced by PNP Lt. Gen. Jose Nartatez Jr., the former PNP deputy chief for administration.
Torre’s sudden exit drew reactions from various personalities who admitted being surprised by the development.
“What’s happening?” Rep. Leila de Lima (Mamamayang Liberal party-list) asked in response to the news.
“They better have a good reason for doing that to a very popular, much appreciated and high-performing PNP chief,” she added.
“To think I was finally, finally starting to view PNP in a positive light, TINANGGAL NIYO SI TORRE??!??” forensic pathologist Raquel Fortun also asked, accompanying her post with an eyeroll emoji.
“Torre was a popular PNP chief who displayed firmness and professionalism in the Quiboloy manhunt, Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest, and even that ridiculous ‘challenge’ from Baste. This will, unsurprisingly, be viewed as yet another case of the admin folding yet again,” former lawmaker Barry Gutierrez said.
“‘Yung mga sangkot sa flood control dapat ang sibakin, pero Chief PNP ang tinanggal. Anyare?” Rep. Percy Cendaña (Akbayan party-list) wrote.
The removal
Sen. Ping Lacson, a former PNP chief, said he believes that Torre was removed after he went “beyond his authority” by unilaterally dismissing his second-in-command.
On August 14, the National Police Commission reinstated Nartatez as the PNP’s deputy chief for administration, which overturned Torre’s earlier appointment of him as the area police commander in Western Mindanao.
“Normally the designation (and relief) of the members of the PNP Command Group-Deputy for Admin, Deputy for Opns and Chief, Directorial Staff should be cleared with the president or at least the ex-officio chairman of the NAPOLCOM, also the SILG (Secretary of Interior and Local Government),” Lacson said.
“Even when ex-president Estrada gave me the blanket authority to run and manage the PNP during my time as CPNP, I did not exercise absolute authority over the designations of the members of the Command Group,” Lacson said, referring to former president Joseph “Erap” Estrada.
Meanwhile, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said that Torre’s removal was “simply a choice of the president to take a new direction for the PNP.”
“He did not violate any laws, he has not been charged with any violations, he has not been charged criminally nor administratively,” the DILG secretary said in a press conference.
Remulla, who chairs the NAPOLCOM, said one of the cases considered was the recent police revamp nullified by the commission.
Last week, Torre presented Lt. General Bernard Banac as the new deputy chief for administration, the second-highest PNP position, during a flag-raising ceremony, despite NAPOLCOM’s order nullifying Banac’s appointment.
On August 9, Torre drew flak for having heavy security escorts during a visit to the PNP regional headquarters in Cagayan Valley.
Before his appointment as PNP chief, Torre led high-profile operations, including the arrest of Quiboloy between August and September 2024, and the arrest of Rodrigo, now detained at the International Criminal Court facility in the Netherlands.
He also earned attention for firing back at a basher who mocked his shooting skills and for turning a fistfight challenge from Acting Davao City Mayor Baste Duterte into a charity match for flood-stricken victims.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr previously gave a shoutout to the cop in the former’s fourth State of the Nation Address, calling him a “champion” in reference to the bout against Baste. — with reports from Philstar.com/Ian Laqui
