Torre’s Napolcom ‘defiance’ ended PNP chief stint, says PBBM

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Tuesday that the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Polcie General Nicolas Torre III, was removed from his post for refusing to comply with directives from the National Police Commission (Napolcom).

Speaking to reporters, Marcos said Torre’s removal was due to an issue of “command and compliance.”

“He did not agree with the directives that were coming out of Napolcom,” Marcos said.

The President explained that Torre’s defiance was a clear violation of the principle of civilian supremacy over the police force.

Napolcom, a civilian body, has specific powers over the police in matters of monitoring, appointments and operational oversight.

“There is a very clear chain of command that a civilian authority is the overriding authority when it comes to the police,” Marcos said. “Because the police are essentially, technically, a civilian organization.”

Marcos said non-compliance with Napolcom’s directives is incompatible with the discipline required in a uniformed service like the PNP.

He added that there were multiple discussions with Torre before the decision was made.

“We had many discussions about it beforehand,” Marcos said. “He just couldn’t do it. So I said, there’s nothing we can do if that’s the situation.”