MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte "did not follow protocol" when he claimed that he ordered the reinstatement of a police official who was relieved after the death of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. inside his own jail cell, a political analyst said Saturday.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa earlier revealed he ordered for Superintendent Marvin Marcos' relief as head of the PNP's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Eastern Visayas, but had to withdraw the order after receiving a call from a "higher official".

Duterte on Friday admitted it was he who spoke to Dela Rosa about the reinstatement of the alleged narco-cop as the government had to "keep track of his movements".

"It is prudent for him (Duterte) to wait for the results of the investigation and act upon it. It's a mystery to me why he would intervene while the process was still going on," political analyst Ramon Casiple said.

"It's not a question of authority. He has all the authority, but he is not following protocol," Casiple added.

Casiple said he is "uncertain" if the President actually called Dela Rosa, or was only covering up from Special Assistant to the President Bong Go.

Senator Leila De Lima earlier accused Go of being the "higher official" who asked for Marcos' reinstatement.

"It's a mystery to me why a specific policy instruction was hidden from the public in the first place. If it's the President who actually ordered it, then there's no sense why chief PNP Dela Rosa wouldn't admit it," Casiple said.

To get to the bottom of things, a case "should be filed in court so that there will be intervention outside of the executive department," Casiple said.