Malacañang has officially relieved Police General Nicolas Torre III as Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), ending a controversial and high-profile tenure marked by bold moves and political tensions.
In a letter dated August 25, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin informed Torre of his removal, instructing him “to ensure proper turnover of all matters, documents, and information relative to your office.”
In a separate memorandum, Bersamin endorsed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. the appointment of Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Corpus Nartatez Jr., the PNP’s Deputy Chief for Administration, as Torre’s successor.
On Tuesday, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed that the president has approved Nartatez’s promotion to the top PNP post.
Torre’s removal follows a recent power struggle within the police hierarchy. Earlier this month, he attempted to reassign Nartatez to Mindanao—a directive that was promptly blocked by the National Police Commission, chaired by Remulla, amid concerns that Torre had exceeded his authority.
Torre made history as the first Philippine National Police Academy graduate to become PNP chief. He gained widespread media attention for spearheading the arrest of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and former President Rodrigo Duterte, as well as for accepting a boxing challenge from Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte, who later failed to appear. Torre was declared the winner by default—an outcome later mentioned by President Marcos during his State of the Nation Address, calling Torre “the new champion.”
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