Marcos on Torre's removal: He didn't agree with NAPOLCOM's directives

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Tuesday explained why former Philippine National Police chief Police General Nicolas Torre III was suddenly removed from his post. 

At a press conference in Cambodia, Marcos said Torre ''did not agree with the directives that were coming out of NAPOLCOM (National Police Commission).''

''And there is a very clear chain of command that a civilian authority is the over winning authority when it comes to the police. Because the police is essentially – technically a civilian organization. And NAPOLCOM is the civilian authority that has the authority to monitor,'' Marcos said.

''It has powers – very specific powers in terms of the appointments, and that’s why they disagreed. And we cannot – you know alam naman natin uniformed service ‘yan kailangan masundan ang (we all know that it's a uniformed service so it has to follow the) chain of command. So, that’s why…'' he added. 

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla earlier said Marcos had chosen the institution over the person when he decided to remove Torre as PNP chief over the latter's differences with the NAPOLCOM.

Remulla had said he and Torre had a difference of opinion over the lack of approval by the NAPOLCOM of the assignments of top officials in the organization.

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 which states that the State shall establish and maintain one police force, "to be administered and controlled by a national police commission."

Torre had filed a leave of absence from August 28 to September 29 following his removal from the top PNP post.

Remulla had disclosed that Torre is being considered for another government post.

In a separate BBM Podcast, Marcos said there was no loss of confidence on Torre as he praised the latter for being a good policeman. 

“No, he did such a... Eh ang galing na pulis (He's avery good cop),” Marcos said. 

To recall, Torre facilitated the arrest of Marcos’ predecessor Rodrigo Duterte and religious leader Apollo Quiboloy. 

The President, meanwhile, refused to disclose the government post that would be offered to the police general. 

“Let me tell him first,” he said.  — RSJ/RF, GMA Integrated News