EDITORIAL - Housecleaning at the NBI

It’s customary for arrested crime suspects to file countercharges against their captors. But because of recent developments at the National Bureau of Investigation, the public tends to believe accusations of wrongdoing against its members.

Magtanggol Gatdula was fired as NBI director and is currently under investigation, together with several NBI personnel, on charges that they kidnapped a Japanese woman fleeing crime gangs in her country and extorted money from her. Two months after Gatdula was dismissed from his job, the Department of Justice has received a complaint against other NBI officers and assets.

Again the alleged crime is kidnapping and extortion, with NBI agents also accused of robbery in the course of an unlawful raid. This time the complainant is a Filipina married to a Japanese, with a Nigerian among the victims. Among those accused of involvement is the former head of the NBI’s anti-graft division and the executive officer of the bureau’s RAID or Reaction Arrest and Interdiction Division.

Alma Valencia Yamaguchi alleged that the NBI agents took about P500,000 worth of cash and jewelry from her as well as a laptop computer from her office in Cavite during a raid in March last year to arrest the Nigerian for a case that remains unclear. At the NBI office, she claimed she was asked to cough up P500,000, with the amount later brought down to P300,000. Later, the agents allegedly settled for her ATM card, which they used to withdraw P35,000. Yamaguchi told the DOJ she was emboldened to come forward with a complaint after reading about what happened to Gatdula.

If Yamaguchi’s story is true, it is good that she found the courage to pursue a complaint, and an investigation is being conducted. Coming on the heels of the dismissal of the former NBI chief, this case should prod the bureau to undertake a thorough housecleaning. The bureau has been hit periodically by scandals, with its members implicated in criminal activities. These two latest incidents should serve as a reminder that purging of the ranks must be done regularly and commitment to honest and dedicated service must be sustained.