NBI excluded from reshuffle plans —Palace

Malacañang clarified on Tuesday that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) was not included in the reshuffle plans as directed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte’s spokesperson Harry Roque said the clarification came from Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, a  trusted confidant of the President.

“Maroon lang po akong text sa ating bubwit. Ang sabi po ng aking bubwit iyong tinukoy na reshuffling kagabi ay reshuffling sa Customs at sa PhilHealth, hindi po kasama ang NBI,” Roque said in a televised briefing.

“Itago po natin ang aking bubwit sa pangalang Senator Bong Go."

The President directed the reshuffling of government personnel as he expressed dismay over the continued drug smuggling in the country’s ports being monitored by the Bureau of Customs and corruption in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.

“I called Jagger, si [Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo] Guerrero dito, Commissioner, sabi ko sa kanya, ‘I want to see a reshuffle of the different regional offices within the next two or three days,’” the President said in his public address on Monday.

“That goes for the NBI pati PhilHealth.”

Roque said the objective of the reshuffle was to avoid familiarity in their assigned posts.

“Hindi naman pupuwede na masyado silang komportable sa kanilang mga temporary assignments. Sabi ko nga po nag-uugat at kapag nag-ugat, maraming mga utang na loob which could become a hindrance to the discharge of their functions,” he said. —KBK, GMA News