So about that PNP drama…

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

Ever tried to rearrange the group chat admins without asking the group creator first? Yeah, it’s awkward. Now imagine doing that, but the admins are top police generals and the group creator is, well, the entire system.

Welcome to the latest episode of: Gen. Nicolas Torre: The Fall from the Tower.

The Plot

Our main character, then-PNP Chief Nicolas Torre III, decided to play a game of musical chairs with 13 of his senior officials. A key player in this shuffle was Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., the PNP’s number two guy. A bold move, a real “new management” power play.

The Plot Twist

There’s this group called the National Police Commission or NAPOLCOM, which is basically the super-Admin that has to approve these things. They looked at Torre’s move and hit the big red “UNDO” button. They said, “Uh, you forgot to ask for permission.”

What followed was a super public standoff. It was the bureaucratic equivalent of two people grabbing the same item at the supermarket and refusing to let go. Awkward for everyone watching.

But Wait, Here’s the Tea…

Paperwork this is not. It’s about the unwritten rules of the game, per our moles in Malacañang and Crame.

1. The School Rivalry: Torre is from the PNPA. Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. is from the PMA. Think of it as a UAAP-level rivalry, but with ranks and national security implications. It’s an old-school clash that never really goes away.
2. The “Kailian” Card: Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. is from Ilocos. The President is from Ilocos. In the Philippines, being kailian (from the same province) is like having a secret handshake. It’s a connection you don’t mess with. Unsurprisingly, Nartatez was appointed PNP OIC-chief hours after Torre was relieved from office.

So when the President finally stepped in and gave Torre the classic “You’re Fired,” was anyone really surprised? The sacking happened despite the manifesto of support from 18 PNP regional directors for Torre’s stewardship.

Torre’s story is a masterclass in what happens when you feel a little too invincible. He played the game hard but seemed to forget who the final bosses were. He didn’t just step on toes; he stomped on the wrong ones—the ones connected by school rings and regional ties.

To quote Shinzaemon Shimada in the movie “13 𝘼𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙨”: “Your mistake is believing your decorative blade is not just for show.”

This is “militics” (military + politics) in its purest form. It’s a messy, dramatic, and brutally effective system. So next time you see a big shake-up, remember to look beyond the headlines. The real story is usually in the juicy details of who knows who, and who’s from where.

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The un-fired: A ‘very diligent’ cop story

Picture this: It’s August 2016. You’re a top cop in Iloilo. You’re probably having a normal day until President Duterte goes on live TV, pulls out a piece of paper, and reads your name.

Congratulations, you’ve just made “The List.” Not a guest list, but the infamous “narco list.”

For a group of Iloilo’s finest, including Police Lieutenant Colonels Noel Lamsis and Ronald Gepana, and Police Majors Rio Maymay and Kenneth Militar, this was the start of a career rollercoaster that makes a Viking ride look like a chill carousel.

Act I: The Public Shaming

Right after the presidential name-drop, most of these officers were yeeted out of Western Visayas. It was a classic case of “You’re in trouble, now go stand in the corner… of another island.” It’s the government equivalent of your parents grounding you and transferring you to another school just to be sure.

Act II: The ‘Investigation’

For years, their careers were in limbo. Then, in 2021, the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) made it official. Dismissed from service. Done. Fired.

Now, you’d assume an investigation that ends with firing high-ranking officers would be airtight, right? Full of evidence, witness testimonies, the works.

Well, about that…

During a House of Representatives probe, an official from NAPOLCOM Western Visayas admitted he was “not so diligent in the investigation.” And why the lack of diligence, you ask? Because, he confessed, he “only relied upon the pronouncement of the president.”

Let’s translate that. The basis of the investigation that ruined careers was essentially a copy-paste of a speech. The official homework was to watch the President’s announcement and then write “what he said.” Due process, who?

The result of this “very diligent” work was Lamsis, Maymay and other sacked officers having to do the walk of shame, surrendering their badge, gun, and ID. All because of a list.

Act III: The Uno Reverse Card

So while one agency was using a speech as its primary evidence, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) apparently decided to do an actual review.

As we saw from their decisions, the CSC took a look at the cases of Lamsis and Maymay and basically said, “Wait a minute…” They didn’t just lessen the penalty. They nuked the whole thing from orbit.

The verdict? EXONERATED.

The NAPOLCOM decision? SET ASIDE. FOR LACK OF MERIT.

The order? REINSTATE them.

And the cherry on top?

Give them FULL BACK WAGES and benefits for the entire time they were fired.

It’s the most stressful, reputation-destroying, paid vacation imaginable, all because of an “investigation” that was admittedly anything but. It’s a wild ride that proves the line between a career-ending scandal and a long, paid holiday is sometimes just one appeal away.