NEW Philippine National Police Comptroller, Brigadier General Jose Melencio ‘Tateng’ C. Nartatez Jr. may be assigned to a pure desk work at the moment but he is no pushover having a proven combat track record and integrity which will make his ancestors led by the martyred Gabriela Silang really proud.

Designated as the head of the PNP Directorate for Comptrollership last April 20, the highly-decorated Brig. Gen. Nartatez has the distinction of being the last member of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) ‘Tanglaw-Diwa’ Class of 1992 who will retire from the police force on March 19, 2027.

He is a direct underclassman of General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr. who was installed as the 28th PNP chief by President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos Jr.. A native of Ilocos Norte, the home province of the Marcos, Gen. Acorda is known as the humble servant from the North who was picked by PBBM as his 2nd top cop after another fellow Ilocano, now retired General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr.

Brig. Gen. Nartatez traces his roots from the descendants of Maria Josefa Gabriela Cariño de Silang or ‘Gabriela Silang, a Filipino military leader best known for her role as the female leader of the Ilocano independence movement from Spain.

‘Gabriela Silang’ became known as the first female leader of the revolutionary movement against the Spanish colonizers and one of the most prominent figures of the revolution who led an army of around 300 revolutionaries after her husband, resistance leader Diego Silang was assassinated in 1763.

For four months, she led her ragtag army in scoring a number of victories against the Spaniards until she was captured and executed by the Spanish colonial government on the same year her husband was murdered.

Brig. Gen. Nartatez was born in Santa, Ilocos Sur and traces his genealogy from the line of the great Gabriela Silang.

He however spent his formative years in Metro Manila excelling in his primary and secondary education where he graduated with honors.

Although he now lives in the metropolis, the impeccable spirit of a brave and industrious Ilocano still runs vigorous through his veins.

At the young age of 17, he was admitted to Fort del Pilar in 1988 and graduated with distinction as a member of the PMA ‘Tanglaw-Diwa’ Class of 1992. The official earned a degree of Master in Public Administration while in service in the PNP.

Brig. Gen. Nartatez took over as the Police Regional Office 4-A director in Calabarzon region on orders of former PNP chief, now retired General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. on August 8, 2022.

To many of his peers, colleagues and subordinates, he personifies the ideal police officer, one with a well-rounded career in the service, having an extensive experience in all his command, staff and field assignments.

The official is also an experienced police dive supervisor and a graduate of courses in crisis response, critical incident management, intelligence, basic airborne, underwater operation and urban counter-revolutionary warfare courses.

In August 2002, he returned to Calabarzon region which is a familiar territory to him since he previously served as Intelligence and Investigation Officer of the Laguna Police Provincial Office from 2004 to 2006.

As a young lieutenant, Brig. Gen. Nartatez had his real ‘baptism of fire’ while assigned in the battlefields of Quezon and Laguna, in Western Mindanao particularly in Basilan, Sultan and Tawi-Tawi areas and later in Negros Island where he spent the first five years of his career as an officer of the elite PNP Special Action Force.

It was while assigned with the PNP-SAF where he got his training for the rigors of the police service. He was once commanding officer of the PNP-SAF’s 3rd Special Action Battalion stationed in Isabela City in Basilan in 1993

The strong career foundation he built in the PNP-SAF would later qualify him for positions in the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force where he served under former PNP chief and former Senator Panfilo ‘Ping’ M. Lacson.

He also became chief of the Sta. Cruz Municipal Police Station in Zambales and company commander of the 314th Provincial Mobile Group of the Zambales Police Provincial Office.

Brig. Gen. Nartatez also previously served as Deputy Chief of the PNP-CIDG Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit; was once chief of the CIDG Special Reaction Unit and chief of the CIDG Southern Metro Manila Field Office and its Major Crime Investigation Unit.

He also worked in higher officers and in several support units starting with the PTCFOR (Permit-to-Carry-Firearms-Outside-of-Residence) Secretariat, was once a Budget Officer of the PNP Logistics Support Service and served as a Senior Executive Assistant to former PNP Chief General Jesus A. Verzosa.

He was also designated as Comptroller of the Cordillera Police Regional Office before being transferred in 2016 to the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office where he served as its provincial director for 27 straight months.

As a leader, he is a firm believer of capacity building through massive infrastructure development, The tangible legacy of his output-oriented leadership is undeniable in all corners of Camp Valentin S. Juan, the headquarters of the Ilocos Norte PPO.

The new PNP Comptroller got his star-rank when he became Executive Officer of the PNP Directorate for Research and Development before becoming the director of the PNP Finance Service where he served for 21 months.

As director of the PNP Finance Service or PNP-FS, he pioneered innovative intervention in solving administrative and operational disfunctions of the unit at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

His six-point action plan revolutionized the systems and processes of the PNP-FS by investing in digital technologies With upgraded IT equipment and stronger IT capabilities, the PNP-FS became the most transformed PNP National Support Unit in the PNP organization during the pandemic period.

During his incumbency, the PNP-FS became the 3rd office under his leadership to become ISO-Certified, preceded by PTCFOR in 2010 and the Office of the Chief,PNP in 2019.

He also left behind a mark of excellence for his other successors to sustain,

As PNP-FS director, the unit was adjudged as Best National Administrative Support Unit of the Year and received the Best NASU Streamer from President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos Jr. during the 121st PNP Service Anniversary in August 2022.

His long list of medals, awards and citations is written in five full pages of his PNP Personal Data record, a testament to his sterling leadership, outstanding performance and professional competence.

He was awarded multiple times as Best Junior Officer, Best Staff Officer, Best PCO of the Year and other similar recognitions in almost all of his assignments . In 2006, he was meritoriously promoted to the rank of Police Lieutenant Colonel.

Men and women of PRO4-A noted him for transformational leadership as he only put in the work that is necessary, not only to improve the capabilities of his unit, but also to refine its image in the hearts and minds of the people they have sworn to serve and protect.

His bold ideas were known to have propelled the unit into a new chapter with contemporary set of safeguards and mindsets. Set to earn his 2nd-star soon, the 52-year old Brig. Gen. Nartatez is also known as a dutiful husbands, a responsible father to three daughters and two sons, a respectable leader and most importantly, a descendant of a mighty female warrior.