Philippine President Fires Police Chief Following Arrests of Duterte and Televangelist Quiboloy
Marcos Jr. removes national police chief after his involvement in high-profile arrests.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has terminated the appointment of his national police chief, General Nicolas Torre, following his involvement in the arrests of former President Rodrigo Duterte and televangelist Apollo Carreon Quiboloy.
According to Philippine officials, the removal was carried out by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin without providing specific reasons for the decision.
The position will be filled by another senior police general, Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., who assumed the top post on Tuesday.
Torre's tenure as national police chief, which was set to conclude in 2027, has ended with immediate effect, and he has been instructed to ensure a proper turnover of all matters related to his office.
Torre was reportedly involved in disagreements with government officials over the removal of several police officials from their positions.
The National Police Commission had ordered the reinstatement of these officials earlier this month, though it remains unclear if Torre's actions aligned with this decision.
The removal of Torre comes shortly after he demonstrated a new anti-crime battle room at the national police headquarters, designed to enable rapid communication and swift responses to law and order issues.
In March, Torre was responsible for leading the arrest of Duterte at Manila’s international airport in connection with his alleged crimes against humanity related to his antidrug campaign.
The former president has been accused of overseeing a brutal crackdown on drug suspects that resulted in thousands of deaths, a situation which raised concerns among Western governments and human rights organizations.
Torre was also involved in the arrest of Quiboloy last year, who is included on the FBI's most-wanted list for alleged child sex trafficking.
Despite facing criminal charges in the United States, Quiboloy and his legal team have maintained their innocence.
The televangelist has been detained in a metropolitan Manila jail, awaiting trial for multiple criminal cases similar to those he faces in the US.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla emphasized that Torre had not violated any laws or faced administrative charges before his removal, attributing it solely to President Marcos' choice to take a new direction for the national police force.
The future of Torre within the government remains uncertain.
According to Philippine officials, the removal was carried out by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin without providing specific reasons for the decision.
The position will be filled by another senior police general, Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., who assumed the top post on Tuesday.
Torre's tenure as national police chief, which was set to conclude in 2027, has ended with immediate effect, and he has been instructed to ensure a proper turnover of all matters related to his office.
Torre was reportedly involved in disagreements with government officials over the removal of several police officials from their positions.
The National Police Commission had ordered the reinstatement of these officials earlier this month, though it remains unclear if Torre's actions aligned with this decision.
The removal of Torre comes shortly after he demonstrated a new anti-crime battle room at the national police headquarters, designed to enable rapid communication and swift responses to law and order issues.
In March, Torre was responsible for leading the arrest of Duterte at Manila’s international airport in connection with his alleged crimes against humanity related to his antidrug campaign.
The former president has been accused of overseeing a brutal crackdown on drug suspects that resulted in thousands of deaths, a situation which raised concerns among Western governments and human rights organizations.
Torre was also involved in the arrest of Quiboloy last year, who is included on the FBI's most-wanted list for alleged child sex trafficking.
Despite facing criminal charges in the United States, Quiboloy and his legal team have maintained their innocence.
The televangelist has been detained in a metropolitan Manila jail, awaiting trial for multiple criminal cases similar to those he faces in the US.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla emphasized that Torre had not violated any laws or faced administrative charges before his removal, attributing it solely to President Marcos' choice to take a new direction for the national police force.
The future of Torre within the government remains uncertain.
