Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has dismissed the head of the national police, who was previously ordered to arrest former president Duterte.

According to U.S. media reports, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has fired his chief of the national police, who had drawn attention for enforcing an International Criminal Court order to arrest former president Rodrigo Duterte and a television preacher Apollo Carreon Quiboloy, who is wanted by the FBI for alleged child sexual abuse, according to Philippine officials on Tuesday.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin did not specify the reason for the dismissal of General Nicolas Torres, the head of the 232,000-member national police force, who was appointed by Marcos in May and was originally scheduled to serve until 2027. He will be replaced by another senior officer, Jose Melencio Nartates Jr., who officially took office on Tuesday. Bersamin notified Torres in a letter made public on Tuesday, stating that according to Marcos's instructions, he would immediately be removed from his position as head of the national police and instructed him to "ensure the proper transfer of all matters, documents, and information related to your office." Torres did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Before being dismissed, Torres reportedly had differences with government officials over the decision of the national police chief to dismiss more than ten officers, including Nartates. The National Police Commission ordered these officers to be reinstated this month, but it appears that the order was not executed immediately.

"He did not violate any law, nor was he charged with criminal or administrative offenses; he was simply chosen by the president to take a new direction for the national police," said Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla when asked why Torres was dismissed at a press conference, but did not elaborate further.

Remulla said that there was a "good and productive relationship" between Marcos and Torres, but he added, "We are a country of laws, not of individuals, and institutions must be greater than those who manage them." Remulla stated that only the president can specifically explain why Torres was dismissed, and it is currently unclear whether Torres will be offered another government position.

Just days ago, Torres showed Marcos the new anti-crime combat room at the headquarters of the national police, where officers can communicate quickly via two-way radios and other communication systems to respond to any law and order issues within five minutes.

In March, Torres led the chaotic arrest of Duterte at Manila International Airport and handed him over to the International Criminal Court, as he was arrested for the deadly anti-drug campaign during his tenure.

Duterte, who ended his six-year presidential term in 2022, was accused of crimes against humanity for his brutal crackdown on illegal drugs during his time in office.

Although Duterte denied ordering the execution of drug suspects, he openly threatened to kill suspected drug dealers while serving as mayor of Davao City in the south and later as president. Last year, Torres oversaw the arrest of religious leader Apollo Quiboloy, a key supporter of Duterte, who was placed on the FBI's wanted list for alleged sexual abuse and trafficking of underage girls in the United States.

At that time, Torres was the police chief in the southern Davao region, leading thousands of police officers against numerous followers of Quiboloy at his large religious complex who opposed the arrest. Quiboloy and his lawyers denied the allegations.

Since then, Quiboloy has been held in prison in Greater Manila for three similar criminal cases in the Philippines, and the Philippine ambassador to Washington, Jose Manuel Romualdez, stated that efforts have been made to seek extradition.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1841526556017664/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.