‘Don’t pity me, I’m OK,’ former PNP chief says
Former Philippine National Police chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III on Friday thanked his supporters, but urged them “not to pity him” because millions of other people are more deserving due to their repeated suffering due to persistent floods.
“Thank you to those who pity me, but I ask of you: do not pity me. In spite of my abrupt removal as chief of the Philippine National Police, I am okay,” in a video post on his official social media account.
“If we must pity anyone, it should be the millions of our fellow citizens who repeatedly become victims to persistent flooding. They are the ones who truly need help and support at this time because they should not be the ones always suffering during the rainy season,” he added.
“I repeat that I do not have ill feelings toward the President. I understand that he needs to make tough decisions and my removal as chief of the Philippine National Police is only one of them,” he said. “I am still a police officer anyway. I serve and I still continue to serve at the pleasure of the President and our country.”
President Marcos relieved Torre from his post on Aug. 26 following a dispute with the National Police Commission (Napolcom) over Torre’s reassignment of 13 PNP officials. Malacañang, however, said Mr. Marcos offered Torre another government position, but the Palace did not specify which.
Torre was succeeded by former PNP deputy chief for administration Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., one of the officers Torre wanted to reassign, in acting capacity.
Nartatez presided over his first command conference at PNP’s Camp Crame headquarters on Friday with the 96 top officials, including 18 regional police chiefs and the heads of national support units and directorial staff.
The new PNP chief spoke about his seven-point agenda, including enhanced police operation management, combating specific crimes such as illegal drugs and cybercrime, strengthening security for vital installations, ensuring personnel morale and welfare and managing human, material and financial resources, he said.
The plan also includes revisiting risk management plans and focusing on public trust through a disciplined and accountable police force. “You would be a good commander, if you can fix this,” Nartatez said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Moro election priority
Nartatez also made special mention of the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on Oct. 13.
“We still have seven weeks until Oct. 13. So we will ensure that this election will be safe and secure and of course it will be fair by making contingencies and preparations by coordination with the Comelec,” said Nartatez.
“What is important is we have our contingencies, preparation. We already have the elections, the midterm elections and we will improve the security operations in BARMM and other concerns that we have discussed and that’s it. I have clearly laid out our focus agenda,” he added.
According to the PNP Public Information Office (PIO), Torre can exercise two options in the PNP when he returns from a monthlong leave from Aug. 28 until Sept. 29: to stay in the service or go on early retirement. Torre will not reach the mandatory retirement age of 56 until March next year.
If he opts to stay in the service, he would be assigned to the Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit and would be required to report for work every day, PIO chief Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño said on Friday.
If he chooses early retirement, he can take a three-month leave starting in January to attend to his retirement requirements.
Torre’s third option is to accept the position being offered to him by the President, but Palace spokesperson Claire Castro told reporters at a regular Malacañang briefing that they had yet to receive any word from the former PNP chief.
“Let’s just wait for General Torre’s positive reaction,” Castro said.
