Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. formally assumed leadership of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, following the relief of Police General Nicolas Torre III.

The turnover ceremony was held at Camp Crame, with Interior and Local Government Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla confirming Nartatez’s appointment as officer-in-charge of the 230,000-strong police force.

Nartatez, who served as Deputy Chief for Administration, is expected to eventually take on the post in a permanent capacity. He is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Tanglaw-Diwa Class of 1992—the last batch of PMA graduates eligible to become PNP chief.

The new PNP head was among the contenders for the top post in May, but Torre was chosen ahead of him. With his appointment, Nartatez becomes the fifth PNP chief under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and the 32nd since the police organization was established in 1991.