NBI confirms file on Mercado partner’s death missing

MANILA, Philippines - National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Virgilio Mendez confirmed yesterday the loss of files on the mysterious death of former Makati vice mayor Ernesto Mercado’s live-in partner in 2002.

In an interview, Mendez said he had checked their records on Raquel Ambrosio’s alleged suicide after it was raised during a Senate hearing last month.

“We have conducted a thorough search for the (Ambrosio) case folder, but we couldn’t find it,” he said. 

However, Mendez said the NBI can reopen the case for reinvestigation following the loss of records.

“We are open to a reinvestigation, of course,” he said. “We’re just waiting for a formal request or complaint, if there’s any.” 

The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) asked yesterday Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to investigate the suspicious disappearance of Ambrosio’s case folder.

De Lima made no response when asked about the missing folder.

UNA interim secretary general JV Bautista said the folder’s disappearance   raises serious concerns on the integrity of the NBI’s procedure in keeping case folders of other high-profile and sensitive cases.

“It is extremely disappointing to learn from media reports that the case folder for such a sensitive and high-profile case is missing,” he said.

“This is the NBI we are talking about. Case folders just don’t disappear. If this could happen in the case of Mercado, then we are concerned about the folders of other sensitive cases being handled by the agency, among them the Napoles case and the probe into the PDAF irregularities involving the same senators who are crucifying the Vice President.”

Bautista said Mercado, “ the main attack dog” in the Senate “inquisition” of Binay, has been placed under the Witness Protection Program (WPP).

“Unless a satisfactory answer is given, one cannot help but conclude that the convenient disappearance of his case folder is part of the deal he cut with the Senate and DOJ,” he said.

The NBI is willing to reopen and reinvestigate the death of Ambrosio, but that Director Mendez has found that the case folder has gone missing, Bautista said. – Edu Punay, Helen Flores