PNPA-graduate Torre fulfilled lawful prerequisite for PNP chiefs—Escudero
At A Glance
- The Senate chief cited Republic Act 6975 or the Department of Interior and Local Government Act of 1990, which established the PNP and the DILG.
- Under Section 23 of the law, the PNP's composition requires it to be members of the police forces who were integrated into the Integrated National Police (INP) and the officers and enlisted personnel of the Philippine Constabulary (PC), which eventually became PC-INP.
Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero lauded on Monday, June 2 President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s decision to appoint Gen. Nicolas Torre III as the new Philippine National Police (PNP) chief saying he fulfilled the provisions of the law that requires the PNP leadership to be civilian.
Torre, a member of the PNPA “Tagapaglunsad Class” of 1993, is the 31st chief of the PNP, replacing Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).
Prior to Torre’s promotion, all other PNP chiefs were graduates from PMA, including former PNP chiefs and now senators Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.
No other president, the Senate leader noted, has made such a radical step.
“This is the first time that a President has done that, and now by chance, a senior PNPA officer has reached the rank and is qualified to become PNP Chief,” Escudero said in Filipino in a press briefing.
The Senate chief cited Republic Act 6975 or the Department of Interior and Local Government Act of 1990, which established the PNP and the DILG.
Under Section 23 of the law, the PNP’s composition requires it to be members of the police forces who were integrated into the Integrated National Police (INP) and the officers and enlisted personnel of the Philippine Constabulary (PC), or which eventually became PC-INP.
“General Torre is the very first PNP graduate who will serve as PNP chief in the history of our country. And with his appointment, the provision of this 35-year old law was finally fully implemented,” he said.
Since the said law upholds that the PNP as a police force is civilian in nature, Torre is now faced with a huge challenge of implementing the true spirit of the law which Congress passed more than 30 years ago.
“He now has the burden of proving that it is only right for the police force to function as civilian in nature and not military in nature,” Escudero said