NBI extortion: DOJ launches investigation

MANILA, Philippines - If the judiciary has a “Ma’am Arlene” allegedly involved in fixing court cases, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has its own “Miss Arlene” being tagged in extortion activities.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has ordered an investigation into the reported extortion incidents at the NBI after the Saudi Arabian embassy complained about a certain Arlene and several agents of the bureau who allegedly extorted money from several Saudi Arabians in the Philippines.

De Lima said she considered the complaint as “serious allegations which not only cast the NBI in a bad light, but likewise compromise the integrity of the legitimate operations against human traffickers, as well as our nation’s diplomatic relations with countries whose nationals may have been victimized by such alleged criminal syndicates.”

In letters to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of Tourism, the embassy identified some of the alleged victims of extortion at the NBI as Majdi Abdulhamed Yaghmoor, Hassand Alharbi, Ahmad Al Ghaneem and Farhan Alsolobi.

It said that the four Saudis were arrested by the bureau on charges of human trafficking but were later released after they coughed up the money.

Yaghmoor and Al Ghaneem paid P300,000, Alsolobi P250,000, while Alharbi gave P20,000 to the NBI agents before they were released.

There were also incidents of harassment allegedly made by “several NBI personnel while they were inside NBI premises purposely to follow up the cases of apprehended Saudi nationals,” the complaint added.

The embassy said there were other Saudi Arabians victimized by the same scheme, which is reminiscent of the abduction and extortion of Japanese Noriyo Ohara in October 2011 that led to the removal of former NBI director Magtanggol Gatdula.

Fact-finding panel formed

Through Department Order 729, De Lima created a special fact-finding committee led by Justice Assistant Secretary Zabedin Azis with Assistant State Prosecutors Bryan Jacinto Cacha and Alejandro Daguiso and State Counsel Adonis Sulit as members.

While NBI officials and agents could be involved in the probe, De Lima also tapped NBI deputy director Jose Doloiras as vice chair of the panel and acting regional director for Central Luzon Jose Justo Yap as member.

The special fact-finding committee was ordered to identify the members of the alleged NBI extortion ring.

The committee shall submit a report on its findings and recommendations and, if warranted, take appropriate steps to initiate the appropriate criminal and administrative proceedings against those who may be found liable.

Apart from the cases of the four Saudis, the panel was also tasked “to validate and probe other similar incidents involving personnel of the NBI (regardless of the nationality of the purported victims of extortion), which may come in light in the course of the investigation, towards the end of gathering and evaluating relevant information.”

They were given until Nov. 15 to submit the report. The identities of Arlene and NBI agents involved were not released.

Earlier, the Supreme Court investigated allegations of case fixing perpetrated by a certain Ma’am Arlene.

After a fact-finding probe, the SC ordered administrative investigation against regional trial court judges Rommel Baybay of Makati City RTC Branch 132; Ralph Lee, Quezon City RTC Branch 83; Marino Rubia of Biñan, Laguna RTC Branch 24 and Lyliha Aquino of Manila RTC Branch 24.

The four judges were found to have violated laws and rules in the conduct of elections of officers of the Philippine Judges Association. They are being probed by the Court of Appeals.