Marcos offered Torre anti-corruption post, says Jonvic Remulla

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has offered former PNP chief Police General Nicolas Torre III another position related to the government's anti-graft efforts, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said on Wednesday.

According to Mariz Umali's exclusive report on "24 Oras," Remulla stressed that he and the President had nothing personal against Torre, who was removed as PNP chief after a difference of opinion with the National Police Commission over the assignments of senior police officials.

Remulla, as Secretary of the Interior, is the ex officio chair of the NAPOLCOM.

"It has something to do with anti-corruption. So, I'm telling you...The President still really believes in General Torre," Remulla said.

"It is still enough that he be... offered a position to fight corruption and to investigate corruption," he added.

"I think that shows you that a difference of opinion does not necessarily mean an end of a friendship, an end of a working relationship. It was just that," Remulla said.

Marcos ordered the Torre's relief, which Remulla said was in connection with the lack of approval by the NAPOLCOM of the assignments of top officials in the organization.

He said he recommended to Marcos that the administration proceed with correcting the mistake of the past administration regarding the assignments of top police officers.

"We're a nation of laws and not of men. So it cannot be one person who dominates everything. So in the end, there was no rancor. He just couldn't accept it," Remulla said.

"And the president said, 'Okay.' He asked me for my recommendation. And I said, 'We have to continue on this path of correcting all the errors of before'," he added.

In asserting its authority when it issued the resolution to reverse Torre's assignments of officers, the NAPOLCOM cited Section 6, Article XVI of the 1987 Constitution that provides that the State shall establish and maintain one police force, "to be administered and controlled by a national police commission."

"Ever since PRRD's time, when the NAPOLCOM was totally bypassed of all appointments, it became now the right rather than the privilege of every PNP chief," Remulla said.

And the president really wanted to... institutionalize it back to how the law was intended. General Torre... didn't see it necessary. The president chose the institution over the person," he added.

The NAPOLCOM, in a resolution dated August 14 Resolution 2025-0531, ordered the return of Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez as Deputy Chief for Administration and Police Lieutenant General Bernard Banac as commander of the Area Police Command (APC) Western Mindanao.

Both officers switched positions earlier this month.

The commission also ordered the PNP to immediately issue corresponding orders with regard to the movement of 11 more officials.

Was the President angered by Torre's decision to push through with his order of reassignment despite the NAPOLCOM's disapproval?

"Well, he was quizzical about it. And in their conversations, a lot of explanations were made. Then that's safe to say that the differences in opinions were there," Remulla said.

Remulla was interviewed on the sidelines of the eighth monthly meeting of the Consular Corps of the Philippines, which he attended as guest of honor and speaker.

The consular corps meets every month to exchange views and ideas for a more cordial relationship and better understanding among its members.  –NB, GMA Integrated News