MANILA, Philippines – Inalok ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. si dating PNP chief Police General Nicolas Torre III ng panibagong posisyon na may kinalaman sa anti-graft efforts ng pamahalaan, sinabi ni Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla nitong Miyerkules, Agosto 28.
Iginiit ni Remulla na siya at ang Pangulo ay walang personal na isyu kay Torre, na inalis bilang PNP chief dahil sa pagkakaiba sa opinyon sa National Police Commission kaugnay sa pagtatalaga ng senior police officials.
Si Remulla ang Kalihim ng DILG, at ex officio chair ng NAPOLCOM.
“It has something to do with anti-corruption. So, I’m telling you…The President still really believes in General Torre,” ani Remulla.
“It is still enough that he be… offered a position to fight corruption and to investigate corruption,” dagdag pa.
“I think that shows you that a difference of opinion does not necessarily mean an end of a friendship, an end of a working relationship. It was just that,” sinabi pa ni Remulla.
Matatandaan na ipinag-utos ni Marcos ang pag-alis sa pwesto kay Torre, na sinabi naman ni Remulla na may kaugnayan sa kakulangan ng pag-apruba ng NAPOLCOM sa assignments ng matataas na opisyal ng organisasyon.
Dahil dito, inirekomenda niya kay Marcos na dapat ayusin ng pamahalaan ang mga pagkakamali ng dating administrasyon kaugnay sa assignments ng mga top official.
“We’re a nation of laws and not of men. So it cannot be one person who dominates everything. So in the end, there was no rancor. He just couldn’t accept it,” sinabi ni Remulla.
“And the president said, ‘Okay.’ He asked me for my recommendation. And I said, ‘We have to continue on this path of correcting all the errors of before’,” dagdag nito.
“Ever since PRRD’s time, when the NAPOLCOM was totally bypassed of all appointments, it became now the right rather than the privilege of every PNP chief.”
“And the president really wanted to… institutionalize it back to how the law was intended. General Torre… didn’t see it necessary. The president chose the institution over the person.” RNT/JGC
