70 of the US Philippine (Taft) Commission, enacted and implemented on January 9, 1901,[3] MacArthur, being Provost Marshal General and military governor at that time, organized the Metropolitan Police Force of Manila, with himself as its first chief.

183 on July 31 of the same year that established the Manila city charter which became effective a week later,[5] the power vested in the Provost Marshal to exercise general supervisory control over the police and other departments of the city government was transferred; the force was reorganized and was headed first by Lieutenant Colonel John L. Tiernon, and later by Captain George Curry.

[4] On March 2, 1936, Antonio Torres, then a member of the Manila City Council, was appointed chief, the first Filipino do so.

However, in 1942 at the outset of World War II, the Kempetai, the Japanese Military Police, ordered Torres to submit to their authority.

[4] In 1949, the MPD transferred their headquarters for the last time, in a newly constructed building at the corner of San Marcelino and Isaac Peral (now United Nations Avenue); the funding of the reconstruction came from the Philippine Rehabilitation Act of 1948.

Notable was the appointment of Ricardo Papa, who organized an anti-smuggling unit that minimized smuggling in the city.

[4] On September 21, 1972, president Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in the country and created the Integrated National Police, with the Philippine Constabulary as its nucleus.

[4] The anniversary of the Manila police force was celebrated on July 31 until the early 1980s when records showed that it was actually on January 9.

The officer who allegedly tortured the suspect was filed with administrative chargers[11] Another was the inept resolution of the Manila hostage crisis which resulted in the death of 8 tourists from Hong Kong.

Villaroman said that the matter was heavily politicized, as it was linked to the affairs of the then at-large Senator Panfilo Lacson.