Remulla Reveals PLtGen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Will Be Next PNP Chief
JOSE MELENCIO NARTATEZ – Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla claimed that the Police Lieutenant General will replace relieved Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Nicolas Torre III.
Today, the Filipinos woke up to an unexpected news that Pres. Bongbong Marcos ordered the immediate relief of PNP Chief Nicolas Torre III from his post. In a letter signed by Executive Sec. Lucas Bersamin, there was no mention as to the reason why Marcos Jr. wanted Torre relieved immediately from his position.
Neither Palace nor the relieved PNP Chief has issued a statement on his relief as the head of the national police. Currently, countless Filipinos are left with questions and one of which as to who will replace the relieved PNP Chief in his position.
Recently, Department of Interior and Local Government Sec. Jonvic Remulla claimed that there is already a PNP official set to replace relieved PNP chief Nicolas Torre III in his position. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, Remulla named PLtGen. Jose Melencio Nartatez.
Nartatez is currently the Area Police Commander or APC for Western Mindanao. He was the second-in-command in the national police when Marcos Jr. appointed Torre to lead the PNP.
Furthermore, based on the report, PLtGen. Jose Melencio Nartatez was also a frontrunner in the list of candidates to be the next PNP chief when Pres. Bongbong Marcos was deciding on who will succeed former PNP Chief Rommel Francisco Marbil in his position. He has also served as Deputy Chief for Administration of the national police.
Nartatez indeed has a long and varied service record. He is also a former director of the Metro Manila Police as well as the Calabarzon Police. He also led the Directorate for Intelligence and the Directorate for Comptrollership. Based on the report, previously, he has also served as a provincial director in Ilocos Norte.
Relieved PNP chief Nicolas Torre III probably has one of the shortest stint as head of the national police. However, undeniably, amid his short stint as PNP chief, he sparked headlines when he accepted the “challenge” of acting Davao Mayor Baste Duterte for a fistfight — Duterte, later on, claimed he did not challenge Torre.
The relieved PNP chief played a significant role in the transfer of the custody of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte to the International Criminal Court. The former Chief Executive remains detained in the ICC detention facility in The Hague, Netherlands since March.