The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has spoken up, putting an end to swirling rumors.
Some reports claimed that former PNP chief Police General Nicolas Torre III was forced out of his post because he allegedly rejected a gun purchase proposal from Secretary Jonvic Remulla.
But the DILG was clear: “This claim is false.”
According to the department, Secretary Remulla did receive an unsolicited proposal for the PNP to buy 80,000 firearms. He then asked Torre to carefully study if such a massive purchase was truly necessary.
The DILG explained that Remulla also reminded Torre that this kind of spending couldn’t just happen. It would require congressional approval since it was not part of the current national budget plan.
And in fact, Remulla never endorsed any congressional insertion to push the deal through. The DILG stressed: “Since his assumption as SILG, Secretary Remulla has never facilitated nor endorsed any congressional budget insertion.”
When the PNP celebrated its anniversary on August 12, Torre personally told Remulla that he didn’t think buying the firearms was needed. Remulla agreed. “There was no directive to purchase,” the DILG clarified.
Despite this, Torre’s removal still came as a shock. On Tuesday, Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. stepped in as acting PNP chief—just three months after Torre had been appointed to lead the force.
Remulla later revealed that Torre’s sudden relief was not about the gun deal at all. Instead, it was because Torre defied an order from the National Police Commission involving the reassignment of key officials.
Still, this may not be the end of Torre’s service. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is now considering him for another government position.
The DILG assured the public that through all these changes, their focus remains the same: transparency, accountability, and keeping communities safe.
