Acting Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. clarified on Monday that the organization is not implementing so-called “quota arrests,” distancing himself from the controversial order of his predecessor, Gen. Nicolas Torre III.
“There’s no such thing as quota arrests,” Nartatez stressed during a media briefing, adding that police operations are guided by intelligence reports rather than numerical targets.
He explained that the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) tracks wanted individuals through data-driven monitoring. “We have data on number of wanted persons. So, how can we say that we’re going to ko-quotahan sila ng about hundred or what? What we are doing is we have these wanted persons and we should arrest [them],” he said.
The detainee rights group Kapatid had earlier pressed Nartatez to rescind Torre’s policy linking police promotions to the number of arrests made, warning that such measures would only fuel impunity and worsen jail congestion without reducing crime.
Nartatez, who assumed office on August 26 following Torre’s sudden relief, said his leadership will continue the push for stronger anti-drug operations under “enhanced managing police operations.” However, he noted he is open to reassessing and adjusting operational strategies when needed.
The acting PNP chief recently held his first command conference with 18 regional directors and other senior officials, marking the start of his leadership amid mounting calls for reforms inside the police force.
