FACT CHECK: No case filed by Marcos against ex-PNP chief Torre

Claim: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. filed a case against former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Nicolas Torre III for allegedly recruiting paid rallyists.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The claim was made in a post published by the Facebook page “SNN,” which has 158,000 followers. The post has garnered 6,500 reactions, 2,100 comments, and 1,000 shares, as of writing.

It was posted on September 26, five days after a massive September 21 rally denouncing corruption in flood control projects and the riots that broke out in parts of Manila amid the demonstration.

The post’s caption reads: “Sinampahan ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. ng kaso si dating PNP Chief Gen. Torre dahil isa daw to sa mga kumuha ng bayaran raliyista.”

(President Marcos Jr. filed a case against former PNP chief Gen. Torre because he was allegedly one of those who recruited paid rallyists.)

The post also included a quote card of Torre saying, “I was shocked because the incident came out in the open just now. Is it because General Marbil is set to retire? I am not discounting the possibility that this is politics inside the organization.”

The facts: There are no credible and official reports confirming that Marcos has filed a case against Torre for allegedly recruiting paid rallyists or for any other reason.

Article III, Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution guarantees theright of the people to peaceably assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances. Meanwhile, the Public Assembly Act of 1985 outlines guidelines for the conduct of public assemblies, including requirements for permits, responsibilities of organizers, and the role of law enforcement authorities.

The law also lists prohibited acts, such as holding assemblies without permits where a permit is required, the arbitrary and unjustified denial of permits, the disruption or obstruction of assemblies, and the use of firearms or weapons near assemblies, among others.

These laws, however, do not directly prohibit paying people to join rallies.

Old statement: The quote in the misleading Facebook post has been reposted by various accounts and pages, omitting the context behind the statement.

While Torre did express his surprise over a case filed against him, this was a statement he made earlier in May in response to an illegal detention complaint filed against him and nine other Criminal Investigation and Detection Group officers. They were accused of allegedly detaining a businesswoman in November 2024 using a “photocopied” International Police Organization (Interpol) red notice.

In an interview with True.FM, Torre made remarks about the supposed odd timing of the complaint and the internal politics that may have prompted the complaint.

Torre’s relief as PNP chief: On August 26, 2025, Torre was relieved from his position as PNP chief, three days short of his three-month mark heading the PNP.

According to Marcos, Torre did not follow the chain of command in the appointments of police officials. The former police chief had disregarded an order by the National Police Commission to reverse the reassignments of senior PNP officials.

This move was seen as a breach of protocol or acting beyond his authority, which eventually led to his removal from the position. Torre was replaced by Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. as the head of the PNP. – Alcel Mary Shayne Epogon/Rappler.com

Alcel Mary Shayne Epogon is a Rappler volunteer. She is currently a third year Political Science student with a major in Law and Policy Studies at the University of San Carlos, and the Research Editor of Today’s Carolinian.

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