De Lima installs De Lemos as NBI OIC

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has installed National Bureau of Investigation Assistant Director Medardo de Lemos as officer in charge of the agency following the resignation of NBI Director Nonnatus Rojas.

"In the interest of the service and pursuant to the provision of existing laws, Assistant Director Medardo de Lemos of the NBI is hereby designated as officer in charge of [the] said bureau," De Lima said.

The NBI is under the supervision of the Justice Department.

The Justice chief said the appointment was effective immediately and will remain enforced until further notice or until a new director is designated.

 

She added that De Lemos will be in charge of the "day-to-day" administration of operations under the supervision of the Justice secretary.

 

"Such designation will be in addition to his existing duties and responsibilities as NBI assistant director but shall not include the power to act on matters involving policy determination, approval of long term contracts and transactions, the appointments or dismissal of personnel and other matters that go beyond acts of mere supervision or administration," she added.

 

Rojas resigned following reports that several of his subordinates allegedly "tipped off" pork barrel scam brains Janet Lim-Napoles about her arrest warrant over a serious illegal detention case. Napoles surrendered to President Aquino on Aug. 28 and has since been detained at Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
 

De Lima earlier this month revealed that "three to four" of Rojas' six deputies at the NBI have "trust and integrity issues," even as she urged these officials to resign out of delicadeza.

 

The six NBI deputy directors are Rickson Chiong (Technical Services), Edmundo Arugay (Administrative Services), Reynaldo Esmeralda (Intelligence Service), Ruel Lasala (Special Investigation Services), Virgilio Mendez (Regional Operation Services), and Rafael Ragos (Comptroller Services).

 

Following her statement, Arugay tendered his courtesy resignation. — Mark Merueñas/RSJ, GMA News