DILG pushed for Nartatez's permanent appointment as PNP chief — JV Ejercito

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has recommended to the Office of the President to permanently appoint Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP). 

Senator JV Ejercito, sponsor of the proposed P308.239 billion budget of the DILG and its attached agencies for next year, made the confirmation on Thursday during the ongoing plenary debates on the 2026 General Appropriations Bill. 

“According to our DILG Secretary, they have forwarded already to the Office of the President for the permanent appointment of our current chief PNP,” Ejercito said.

This came after Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, a former chief PNP himself, asked why Nartatez remains as acting PNP chief three months after his predecessor, Police General Nicolas Torre III, was relieved from his post. 

To recall, the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) has said that Torre, “though relieved from his post, continues to hold the rank of Police General — a rank that by law can only be vested in a single officer at a time.”

Nartatez, a three-star general, took over the helm of the PNP in August this year despite Torre outranking him with the four-star rank.

“My understanding, Mr. President, ‘yung rank kasi iba sa (the rank is different from) position. He can be full time chief PNP if the NAPOLCOM feels that he is fully qualified with three stars on his shoulders. It doesn’t matter. And when Nick Torre retires then na-vacate ‘yung (and the) four-star position (is vacated, then) that’s the time that he can be promoted. But you know position and rank are two different matters,” Lacson said. 

“He (Torre) resigned as chief PNP, so he’s no longer chief PNP. So the position of chief PNP is vacant. Although the rank is not vacated yet. So even if General Nartatez is appointed as chief PNP full time, he can still be chief PNP with [a] three-star rank, there’s no problem with that. That's my point,” he added. 

Lacson also asked if there is still a plan to reconsider and recall Torre that’s why Nartatez is still acting chief PNP. 

He stressed that there is no legal impediment to appoint a three-star police general to become permanent chief PNP. He, however, said that he will stop questioning such “unless there's a problem.” 

GMA News Online sought a confirmation from Malacañang regarding the matter and will update this story once it responds. 

Based on the Section 29 of the DILG Act of 1990, "the head of the PNP with the rank director general (now called police general) shall have the position title of Chief of the PNP."

Torre will reach the retirement age on March 11, 2027, while Nartatez on March 19, 2027.

Torre was relieved as PNP chief on August 25, based on a letter signed by then executive secretary Lucas Bersamin. 

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla earlier said one of the reasons Torre was relieved from his post as PNP chief was his defiance to a NAPOLCOM order on the reassignment of key officials. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News