Torre offered gov’t post but no final decision yet, Palace says

Former Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Nicolas Torre III has been offered a new government position, but he has yet to give a formal response.

Presidential Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Atty Claire Castro confirmed the offer but declined to provide further details.

“Mayroon po talagang inaalok, katulad po ng sinabi natin, at sa ngayon po ay wala pa pong komento. Hintayin na lamang po natin kung ano magiging positibong reaksiyon ni General Torre dito (There is indeed an offer, as we have mentioned, and as of now, there has been no comment yet. Let's just wait for General Torre's positive reaction to this),” Castro told reporters in a press briefing on Friday.

Earlier reports stated that Torre was being considered for a role in the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), a move that the former police chief himself reportedly questioned, citing a lack of qualifications for such a specialized post.

“Baka naman ibang posisyon ang iaalok sa kaniya (Maybe there was another position offered to him),” Castro clarified, hinting that the government may be exploring other roles more aligned with Torre's background and expertise.

Torre has remained tight-lipped, maintaining a “no comment” stance regarding his potential reentry into public service.

In a separate ambush interview on Friday, PNP public information chief Police Brigadier General Randulf Tuaño clarified that Torre filed for leave starting 28 August until 29 September.

Tuaño said Torre used his mandatory, special privilege and service leave credits.

Reports earlier surfaced alleging that Torre was relieved from his position after rejecting a purported proposal by Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla to purchase 80,000 firearms for the PNP.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) swiftly denied the claim.

“There are allegations that the recent reorganization at the Philippine National Police (PNP) was due to Gen. Nicolas Torre's refusal to carry out the supposed instructions of Secretary Jonvic Remulla to purchase firearms. This claim is false,” the DILG said in a statement Thursday evening.

The DILG admitted Remulla had received an unsolicited proposal for the large-scale gun procurement, which he passed on to the then-PNP chief for assessment. However, the department stressed that no directive was issued to proceed with the deal.

The DILG said Remulla reminded Torre that such a purchase could only be done through congressional insertion, as it was not included in the National Expenditure Program.

It added that during the PNP anniversary on 12 August, Torre told Remulla that the firearm acquisition was unnecessary.

“The Secretary concurred with Gen. Torre's assessment. There was no directive to purchase,” the DILG reiterated.

However, Remulla made headlines earlier this week when he stated that Torre's removal was partly due to his failure to follow a directive from the National Police Commission (Napolcom) regarding the reassignment of certain senior officials, citing insubordination, not procurement issues, as the reason for the leadership shake-up.

On Tuesday, Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. was named acting PNP chief, nearly three months after Torre first assumed the role.

Despite the sudden transition, Remulla likewise revealed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is considering Torre for another position within the government, although no details have been provided.