Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. has officially assumed the leadership of the Philippine National Police (PNP) after the sudden relief of General Nicolas Torre III, marking another leadership shake-up in the country’s police force.
The change of command was confirmed after Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin issued a letter dated August 25, stating that Torre’s removal was “by the order of the President” and “effective immediately.” The Palace did not disclose the full reason behind the decision, though the Department of the Interior and Local Government later acknowledged that Torre’s controversial reshuffling of senior officers played a role.
A career police officer with broad experience
Nartatez, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Tanglaw-Diwa Class of 1992, brings with him more than three decades of service in law enforcement. Before this appointment, he served as the Area Police Commander for Western Mindanao, a region long recognized as a critical security front.
His track record includes serving as PNP Deputy Chief for Administration—the police force’s second-highest post—along with stints as director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), Calabarzon police, Directorate for Intelligence, and Directorate for Comptrollership. He also previously worked as provincial director in Ilocos Norte and held key posts in intelligence and investigation units in Laguna.
Nartatez was widely regarded as a frontrunner for the PNP chief position earlier this year before the appointment of Torre in June. His eventual assumption of the top post now places him at the helm of the 230,000-strong police force until his mandatory retirement in March 2027.
The fallout of Torre’s short tenure
Torre’s brief three-month leadership was marked by high-profile operations, including the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte in March and the raid on televangelist Apollo Quiboloy’s compound in September 2024. But his decision to relieve his then-second-in-command, Nartatez, without presidential clearance raised alarms among lawmakers and officials.
Former PNP chief Senator Panfilo Lacson criticized Torre’s move, calling it an overreach. “Torre acted beyond his authority of unilaterally relieving his second-in-command,” Lacson said, stressing that the designation and relief of command group members must be approved by the President or coordinated with the National Police Commission.
Despite the controversy, Lacson underscored the importance of stability during the transition. “The relief of PGen. Nicolas Torre III is the sole prerogative of the President of the Philippines. 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 to continue maintaining peace and order,” he added.
