Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has dismissed national police chief General Nicolas Torre, who gained prominence for overseeing the arrests of former president Rodrigo Duterte and influential preacher Apollo Carreon Quiboloy.
The move was confirmed Tuesday by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who directed Torre to hand over responsibilities immediately. He will be replaced by General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr.
Officials gave no specific reason for Torre’s removal. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the decision reflected the president’s choice to take the police force in “a new direction,” stressing that Torre had not been accused of breaking any laws.
Reports suggest Torre had disagreements with government authorities after removing several senior police officers, including Nartatez, from their posts.
The officials were later reinstated by order of the National Police Commission, a move that may have fueled tensions.
Torre had only been appointed in May and was expected to serve until 2027.
His removal comes just days after he unveiled a new national crime operations center to Marcos, aimed at enabling faster police response.
In March, Torre directed the arrest of Duterte at Manila’s airport before his transfer to the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands, where the ex-president faces charges of crimes against humanity over thousands of killings during his anti-drug campaign.
Torre also led the 2023 arrest of televangelist Quiboloy, wanted by the FBI for child sex trafficking. Quiboloy remains detained in Manila while the U.S. seeks his extradition.
The government has not clarified whether Torre will be reassigned to another role.