Bureau sources said among those who are slugging it out for the position of NBI director are former generals Reynaldo Berroya, Edgardo Aglipay, Efren Fernandez, Ernesto de Leon and Eduardo Matillano.
The names of Deputy Director Avelino Razon Jr. of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Manila Police Distrct director Chief Superintendent Pedro Bulaong are also being floated as possible replacements.
NBI spokesman Ricardo Diaz said that while the choice for the next director is a prerogative that belongs to President Arroyo, he maintained that the NBI is not a retirement home for police generals and "we do not want to become the ‘Golden Acres’ of law enforcement."
"The retired generals feel that the NBI fits them since they would only have to make a few adjustments. At the NBI, they no longer have to deal with problematic issues such as insurgency and traffic management," Diaz said.
He suggested that the would-be-director should be below 60 years old since the office is "pressure laden."
He recalled that the late Director Reynaldo Wycoco even told him that on top of paper work, case conferences, and imposing sanctions on erring agents, he often attends five meetings outside the office everyday.
He had hoped that the position would have a fixed term similar to their counterpart in the US, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) which has a seven-year term. "
By doing so, the NBI can investigate independently without pressure coming from either the left or the right," he said.
Another rumored candidate is Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
Arnel Dalumpines, executive officer of the NBI-Special Task Force (STF), said that they would have preferred that a lawyer be appointed to the post since the bulk of their work involves investigation.
NBI agents and personnel still prefer an "insider" to take the helm.
Mantaring, they said, has served the bureau for 35 years, starting as a clerk. It was while he was working when he took up law and after passing the Bar, he applied as a line agent.
He has been assigned at the NBI National Capital Region (NCR) Division, Airport Division, Interpol Division, STF, Dangerous Drugs Division, Central Luzon Regional Office and Southern Luzon Regional Office, promoted to deputy director for Administrative Services, deputy director for Special Investigation before becoming assistant director.
The 58-year-old Mantaring, who was assistant director for a year until the President appointed him as OIC last Nov. 24.
Wycoco succumbed to intra-cerebral hemorrhage last Dec. 19. The mandatory retirement age is 65.
If chosen to succeed Wycoco, Mantaring would still have seven years to serve as NBI chief.