Lacson wants police general to head NBI

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Panfilo Lacson is reportedly pushing for the appointment of a police general to be the new head of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

But NBI insiders are secretly opposing the move, saying they prefer someone from within the bureau to replace NBI Director Federico Opinion, who died last week of kidney failure and diabetes.

An NBI agent, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they have heard that Lacson wants Chief Superintendent Lucas Managuelod, head of the Southern Tagalog police, to succeed Opinion.

"We have heard that General Managuelod is being considered for the post but what we really need is an insider. We need someone who really understands what the NBI needs as well as somebody who knows the people and how the bureau works," the agent said. "General Managuelod is qualified for the job since he is also a lawyer. But we need somebody who really understands us."

Another NBI employee expressed the same sentiments, saying an "outsider" will still have to adjust to the bureau’s daily activities.

"The NBI is a civilian organization. And it is an investigating body, not just a law enforcement agency. We are not like the police," the employee said.

However, most people in the NBI conceded that they will have no choice but to respect whoever is appointed by President Estrada to replace Opinion.

Should the President appoint Managuelod, his appointment will again break the tradition of directors coming from the NBI ranks. The first "outsider" to be named NBI chief was retired police Maj. Gen. Alfredo Lim who served from 1990 to 1992 after his tenure in the Manila police.

Lim now heads the Department of the Interior and Local Government which covers the PNP. He was succeeded by Epimaco Velasco, an old-time NBI man. Then came Antonio Aragon, Mariano Mison, Santiago Toledo and Opinion. Toledo and Opinion both died in office.

Opinion passed away last Friday at the National Kidney Institute. His deputy, Carlos Caabay, is now the bureau’s director-in-charge.

Caabay, 64, is set to retire from the service in May next year.