NBI seeks amendment to NBI Modernization Law

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is seeking to gain more authority as it proposed amendments to Republic Act 10867 or the NBI Modernization Law before the Committee on Justice of the House of Representatives.

During the meeting, NBI director Medardo de Lemos said the agency has a "very limited jurisdiction" under the NBI Modernization Law, which was enacted in June 2016.

"On our legislative agenda, we would like to propose amendments to our new charter. First, in the area of jurisdiction, mindful of the enumerated criminal violations under the different laws in the country, we would like to increase the same considering that some of these jurisdictions have been removed from the NBI," De Lemos said.

De Lemos said the NBI, apart from the President and the DOJ, should be authorized to conduct a direct investigation on issues that are of public interest.

"We would also like to propose that apart from the President and or the Secretary of Justice who may direct investigation of issues... which is of public interest, that the director of NBI is authorized to do so, considering that the President and the Secretary of the DOJ would have their plates full," he said.

Further, he proposed that only the NBI director and the two deputy directors should be appointed by the sitting president while other personnel should be appointed by the Justice Secretary and the NBI director.

He also asked Congress to increase the NBI’s clearance fund from P150 million to P300 million to help the agency’s modernization efforts.

“On the issue of funds generated from our clearance system, we would like also to propose that this be increased to P150 million a year to P300 million to aid us in the modernization of the agency,” he said.

De Lemos said the NBI will submit a letter detailing his proposals to the committee.

Meanwhile, De Lemos said that the NBI no longer has any confidential agents.

“When the new secretary of Justice assumed office, he directed us, he ordered the director of the NBI to recall all confidential agents. So as of the moment, technically and legally, we have no confidential agents with us,” he said.

“And we have directed all the confidential agents who were issued IDs before to surrender the same to the NBI,” he added. — RSJ, GMA News