Who will be Marcos’ next PNP chief?

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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will soon name his new Philippine National Police (PNP) chief.

Current top brass Police General Rommel Francisco Marbil is retiring soon after serving for over a year. He was appointed by Marcos in April 2024 and continued serving even after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56 in February this year.

Marcos extended Marbil’s term, giving him an additional four months to serve. A former Eastern Visayas regional police chief, Marbil is former PNP chief Benjamin Acorda’s classmate as they both belong to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Sambisig Class of 1991.

Marbil’s future successor will be Marcos’ fourth PNP chief and the 31st top cop since the PNP’s creation in 1991.

Speaking before reporters during the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Marcos confirmed that he has chosen his next PNP chief who will lead the 228,000-strong police force. However, the commander-in-chief said he would not disclose his choice yet.

On-ground chatter and multiple sources indicate that the next battle for the next PNP chief is one among these four high-ranking generals of the police.

Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr.

Nartatez became the PNP’s no. 2 man in October 2024. He became the Deputy Chief for Administration following the retirement of Police Lieutenant General Emmanuel Peralta in August last year.

Before his appointment as Marbil’s second in command, Nartatez first served as the director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

A member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Tanglaw-Diwa Class of 1992, the police general belongs to the last batch of PMAers who could become PNP chief. According to Nartatez’s profile published by the Journal Group, he will retire on March 19, 2027.

Nartatez is an Ilocano general — like former PNP chiefs Rodolfo Azurin Jr. and Benjamin Acorda Jr. — as he is from Santa, Ilocos Sur. Marcos has shown a predisposition to appoint Ilocano police generals.

Before serving in Metro Manila, Nartatez was director of the Ilocos Norte provincial police. He also once headed the Calabarzon regional police. In Camp Crame, Nartatez headed the finance service and became the director for comptrollership and intelligence.

Nartatez also served under the elite PNP Special Action Force (SAF) and the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). According to his Journal Group profile, Nartatez was admitted to the PMA in 1988 and later earned his Master in Public Administration degree.

Police Lieutenant General Edgar Alan Okubo

Okubo is the fourth highest PNP officer, just behind Nartatez and Deputy Chief for Operations Police Lieutenant General Robert Rodriguez. He is currently serving as the Deputy Chief of Directorial Staff (TCDS).

Following Police Lieutenant General Jon Arnaldo’s retirement from service, Marbil appointed Okubo as TCDS in October 2024. After his appointment, he retained his post as the PNP Civil Security Group’s director, but was later replaced by Police Major General Leo Francisco.

A member of the PNP Academy (PNPA) Tagapagpatupad Class of 1992, Okubo once served as director of the NCRPO and the PNP’s Police Community Relations. He is the youngest in his PNPA class.

He earned his third star in January 2025. Okubo also has roots in the North. According to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), he is an Ibaloi from Baguio City. He is the first PNPA graduate to head PNP SAF.

According to the PIA, Okubo is a well-decorated officer with over 200 medals and awards. Among his recognitions are the PNP Medal of Bravery and the PNP Medalya ng Sugatang Magiting.

Okubo will retire from the police service on May 21, 2026.

Police Major General Anthony Aberin

Aberin, a two-star general, is the current NCRPO director. He has been holding the said post since November 2024.

Like the other candidates, Aberin is an Ilocano general. He has served in different places in the country, including Tawi-Tawi and Central Visayas. He has been in the police service for 32 years.

Aberin is a member of the PNPA Tagapaglunsad Class of 1993.

After serving as director of PNP Central Visayas, Aberin replaced Police Major General Sidney Hernia as Metro Manila’s top cop.

From 2018 to 2019, Aberin served as Tawi-Tawi provincial police chief. He also worked as deputy director for operations under the CIDG and PNP Maritime Group. The NCRPO chief also headed the PNP Aviation Security Group.

According to Aberin’s profile in the Journal Group, he has received medals and recognitions, including the Medalya ng Pagkilala and Medalya ng Katapatan sa Paglilingkod, among others. He also received a United Nations Medal for his work on international peace and security.

In a message to Rappler, Aberin shared his five-policy guidelines in relation to his service as police general:

Observe the basics in crime prevention and solution
Strong adherence to the Police Operational Procedures
Always do what is right
Do not involve yourself in illegal activities
Stay close to God

Police Major General Nicolas Torre III

Nicholas Torre III Apollo Quiboloy KoJC press presentation Crame

The current CIDG chief, Torre is best known for leading the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte in March this year over charges of crimes against humanity in the International Criminal Court.

Torre also headed the arresting team in the Davao City operations that led to the arrest of alleged trafficker Apollo Quiboloy, who faces trafficking and abuses cases.

A native of Marbel (Koronadal City), South Cotabato, Torre is the son of late Philippine Constabulary officer Rodolfo Molarto “Dolping” Torre. After earning enough units from Mapua University, Torre entered the PNPA and later graduated top 4 of the PNPA Tagapaglunsad Class of 1993.

Aberin is his mistah (classmate).

In the police service, Torre once took an assignment with the United Nations, and was also previously assigned to the transportation department and worked as an air marshal.

Under former president Rodrigo Duterte’s term in 2017, Torre was appointed as Samar provincial director. In Metro Manila, he once headed the Quezon City Police District, and then later served as the Communications and Electronics Service director in the PNP Headquarters.

At the height of the tension between the police and followers of Quiboloy’s Kingdom of Jesus Christ, Torre was named Davao Region police chief. Just days after his successful operation against Quiboloy, Torre was appointed the new chief of the highly specialized CIDG on September 25, 2024.

Marching order, challenges

Although he did not name his next top brass, Marcos said the incoming PNP chief is a “very senior officer” in the police force who “knows the situation.”

Marcos said he will order the new PNP chief to lead the police force in continuing its programs that produce “very good statistics” in relation to addressing criminality. Marcos said he also wants more police visibility in communities.

“This is to make people feel safer. I perfectly understand that. So, despite the fact our statistics indicate good results… Cops should be visible so people would feel safe. That’s why this new program of ‘Cops On the Beat’ has been initiated,” the President said in a mix of Filipino and English.

Marcos said their program “Cops On the Beat” will improve quick response operations of the PNP.

The next PNP chief will also be the first top brass to lead the PNP amid the Marcos government’s pivot to small-time drug users. The President announced this week that his government will focus on small-time drug personalities again to address the drug problem at the grassroots level.

Currently, the PNP is using a new circular called Anti-Illegal Drugs Operation thru Reinforcement and Education or ADORE — a more tempered version of PNP chief-turned-Senator Ronald dela Rosa’s 2016 drug war circular that ordered the war on drugs.

The 2022 memorandum signed by former PNP chief Dionardo Carlos, Duterte’s second to the last police chief, acknowledges that there is a “perceived failure of the PNP’s legal battle against drugs such as procedural irregularities, planting of evidence/fabrication of case, failure to attend court hearings, inconsistent testimonies, and failure of the prosecution to present evidence due to an illegal search warrant served or an illegal search and seizure.”

Unlike his predecessor, Marcos has boasted that his drug war has been bloodless — but this was not true as people continued to die in drug-related incidents under his term. All eyes are on the next top cop to see if his leadership will maintain the status quo on drug war killings, or make them worse. (READ: Marcos’ drug war not as ‘bloodless’ as he claims in SONA 2024)

The new PNP chief will also lead the police service as it deals with other criminal activities, including high-profile kidnappings.

Marcos would have to make his announcement soon as Marbil is expected to turn over his command by first week of June. Regardless of Marcos’ choice, the next PNP chief should be loyal to the PNP’s mandate and work on strengthening public trust in the police. – Rappler.com

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