Former police generals-turned-senators Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa offered their insights on Tuesday regarding the sudden relief of Police General Nicolas Torre III as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Lacson, who served as PNP chief from 1999 to 2001, said Torre may have “acted beyond his authority” when he reassigned Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., his then-deputy and the second-highest-ranking officer in the PNP hierarchy.

“Normally, the designation (and relief) of the members of the PNP Command Group – Deputy for Administration, Deputy for Operations, and Chief, Directorial Staff should be cleared with the President or at least the ex-officio Chairman of the National Police Commission (Napolcom), and the Secretary of Interior and Local Government,” Lacson explained. 

He cited his own experience, stating that even with the “blanket authority” granted to him by then-President Joseph Estrada, he refrained from making unilateral decisions about the Command Group’s composition.

“I did not exercise absolute authority over the designations of the members of the Command Group,” he noted. 

Nonetheless, Lacson acknowledged that Torre’s removal remains the exclusive prerogative of the President.

“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 for the benefit of the people whom they have sworn to serve and protect,” Lacson stressed. 

‘No forever in the service’

For his part, Dela Rosa, who led the PNP from 2016 to 2018 under the Duterte administration, expressed uncertainty over whether Torre had overstepped his powers but acknowledged the volatile nature of leadership within the organization.

“Well, it just goes to show na walang (no) forever. That’s the reality sa serbisyo (in the service) — you can be relieved anytime, so you have to be ready,” he said.

Dela Rosa shared that during his term as PNP chief, he secured clearances from Malacañang before reassigning key personnel, although in urgent cases, he would act first and notify the Palace afterward.

“I don’t know if he (Torre) made changes without Malacañang’s clearance, then maybe meron siyang nasagasaan (he stepped on someone’s toes). As I’ve said, during my time, I always cleared my actions with Malacañang; even if the action came first, I followed up with a report,” he explained.

When asked if Torre deserved to be relieved, Dela Rosa simply responded. “Expected ‘yan sa serbisyo (that’s expected in the service), you can be relieved anytime.”

Shake-up

Earlier this month, Police Lieutenant General Bernard Banac, head of the Area Police Command-Western Mindanao, was named Deputy Chief for Administration, effectively becoming the second-in-command after Torre.

The reassignment was part of Torre’s organizational reshuffle, which saw Banac and Nartatez switch positions.

However, the NAPOLCOM later issued a resolution overturning Torre’s appointments and ordering the immediate issuance of new directives for the movement of 11 other senior police officials.

The Napolcom resolution stressed the Commission’s authority to regulate high-level appointments in the police force. It declared the PNP's reshuffling actions void for lack of necessary confirmation by the Commission en banc.

“The Napolcom, in faithful exercise of its power of control, and in accordance with its mandate under the law, has resolved as it hereby resolves, to recall, set aside, and correspondingly modify the present designations, assignments, and reassignments,” the resolution read.

Despite the Napolcom’s blocking, Torre formally introduced Banac as the new Deputy Chief for Administration during a flag-raising ceremony at the Camp BGen. Rafael T. Crame in Quezon City on 26 August. 

Alongside Banac, Torre also introduced other members of the PNP Command Group, including Deputy Chief for Operations PMGen Edgar Allan Okubo and Chief of the Directorial Staff PMGen Neri Ignacio.

On Tuesday, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced Torre’s official relief order. 

“The palace affirms that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has made the difficult but necessary decision to relieve PNP chief police general Nicolas Torre III of his duties,” Remulla said during a press conference at Camp Crame.