Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla administers the oath-taking of Police Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. as officer-in-charge of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in a ceremony at Camp Crame in Quezon City on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. (Santi San Juan)
The National Police Commission (Napolcom) order that triggered the surprising change of leadership in the Philippine National Police (PNP) will be implemented, Police Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez, Jr. said on Wednesday, Aug. 27.
But Nartatez said that he will first discuss it with the Napolcom en banc which is expected to have a meeting next week.
As acting Chief PNP, Nartatez is an ex-officio member of the Napolcom chaired by Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla.
“I will tackle that with Napolcom and for sure, we will implement that,” said Nartatez.
The Napolcom order invalidated the order of then PNP chief Nicolas Torre III to assign Nartatez as commander of the Area Police Command-Western Mindanao.
In the same order, at least 10 officials were also reshuffled, including the top posts of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), the National Capital Region Police Office and Police Regional Office-Calabarzon.
The refusal of Torre to implement the order was seen as the last straw that triggered the moves to oust him.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, Nartatez explained that there is a need to acknowledge the role of the Napolcom to administrative control and operationally supervise the PNP.
“Napolcom is the watchdog of the PNP. In the law that created the PNP, Napolcom’s organization was included there. The PNP is under their administrative control and operational supervision,” said Nartatez.
“We are thankful that there is (Republic Act) 6975. If we will not follow it, what then is the purpose of that law,” he added.
RA 6975 is the law that created the PNP under the DILG.