NBI acting chief loses support of personnel

Seven months after expressing their full support to of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Acting Director Nestor Mantaring, the same employees’ group said yesterday they are no longer backing his bid to become the agency’s next chief.

NBI Investigators Mutual Benefit Association Inc. (NBI-IMBA) chairman of the board and Head Agent Rafael Ragos, who is also the concurrent chief of the Criminal Investigation Division (CID), said they would soon be forwarding their three-page resolution to Malacañang.

"I called an emergency meeting last Wednesday afternoon because there was a clamor from the members. We want a better director," Ragos said.

Resolution 06-2006 was a product of a special meeting held at the NBI-IMBA office. It covered the withdrawal of support to Mantaring as NBI acting director and clamored for the appointment of a full-fledged NBI director. The document was signed by 14 representative agents and officials from 16 batches.

Deputy Director for Intelligence Services (DDIS) Edmund Arugay explained that while two of the representatives have not affixed their signatures, it did not mean that they were maintaining their support for Mantaring. "They were merely asking for more time to study the matter."

About 90 percent of the NBI agents are members of the association.

Arugay said the last eight months, since November, was enough time for Mantaring prove his worth, "but he performed dismally."

"This is not about the person, this is issue-oriented," he said

Arugay recalled that the NBI-IMBA was one of the organizations that backed Mantaring last Dec. 23, but this time they were withdrawing their vote of confidence.

In a statement, the association said that since Mantaring took over the helm of the Bureau in November last year, he has performed poorly and has issued orders that divide, punish, degrade and displace operatives without legal basis.

Mantaring was promoted as officer-in-charge and later as acting director when Director Reynaldo Wycoco was in a coma for 26 days because of a ruptured aneursym in the brain. On Dec. 19, Wycoco succumbed to intra-cerebral hemorrhage at the Manila Doctors’ Hospital.

Mantaring, who hopes to become the bureau’s 17th director, was accused by the association of being a "dictator" and having "vindictive tendencies."

For the last eight months, he moved several NBI officers and employees without consultation, the group claimed.

One prominent personality affected was Regional Director Ricardo Diaz, who was transferred from the Interpol Division to chief of the Bicol Region last March.

Arugay claimed the previous transfer orders issued by Mantaring, including that of Diaz, were illegal because it was done when he was officer-in-charge and had no power to re-assign personnel.

Just two days ago, Mantaring started circulating a new batch of special orders wherein effective July 3, Arugay would transfer from DD for Comptroller Service (DDCS); Fermin Nasul from DDCS to DD Regional Operations Service (DDROS), Victor Bessat from DDROS to DD Special Investigation Service (DDSIS), Alejandro Tenerife from DDSIS to acting assistant director, while Regional Director for Central Luzon Edward Villarta would replace Arugay at DDIS.

Head Agent Ferdinand Lavin, previously an executive officer of the National Capital Region (NCR), would be leading the Anti-Human Trafficking Division (AHTRAD); Assistant Regional Director Romulo Asis would move from AHTRAD to Anti-Terrorism Division (ATD); while ATD Supervising Agent Carlo Vasquez has not yet been given a new assignment.

NBI-Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Chief Rogelio Mamaoag would be sent to the Vigan District Office.

Arugay said he believes officials who are associated with him are also being reprimanded, especially his batch mates. He is a graduate of Batch 1985 and all 14 of them are lawyers.

Five of them are regional directors, namely: Ruel Lasala of the NCR, Medardo se Lemos of Cebu, Rustico Vigilia of Region 1, Constantino Joson of Region 2, and George Jularbal of Region 4.

Both Mamaoag and Asis, who would be affected by the selective reshuffle, are also his batch mates.

Sour grapes?

Mantaring had claimed Arugay was retaliating because he was being transferred to another division.

But the DDIS denied he was sour graping and said that the resolution was not a spur of the moment action and that they have been deliberating on the issue for the past few days.

Showing a copy of the special order for his transfer, Arugay showed that it reached his office at around 4 p.m. of June 28. The resolution was crafted at about the same time.

"Walang personalan dito, we are only attacking the issues. In fact, the DDIS will be my office until July 3 and I will abide by the order and transfer to the DDCS because he is still the acting director. If he tells me to go home, I will comply," he said.

The DDIS also lamented that while the NBI is the country’s premier investigating body, it has been neglected under Mantaring’s term. "It is from the Intelligence Division that they rely on their decisions, it also the division that provide them with leads in some of the investigation, but he cut the budget by 70 percent."

Arugay also hit Mantaring’s alleged favoritism. "He transferred to far-flung provinces officials and officers whom he believed was not loyal to him."

However, Arugay clarified there is no Plan B after the signing of the resolution.

"After this, its back to work for us. There would be no pickets, no street protests, neither will we come out with our own signature campaign against Mantaring," he said.

Mantaring, for his part, showed reporters that several manifestos of support are pouring in from the different NBI offices.

Among those who pledge to continue their support to him were the Special Task Force, the Anti-Graft Division, Central Luzon Regional Office and the NAIA.

He explained that there was nothing extraordinary with the latest set of special orders and that it was merely part of the reshuffle.

"This is not a demotion for Arugay because as comptroller, he would be in charge of the budget and accounting, walang personalan ito. Pag nilipat ka dapat hindi masama ang loob mo."

The NBI chief said he was surprised when it was announced over the radio that the NBI-IMBA would be withdrawing their support.

Despite the attacks against him, Mantaring said he is confident to get the President’s support and finally be appointed as NBI director.

Meanwhile, Malacañang has intervened in the quarrel and ordered both parties to settle their differences.

Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor said Mantaring and leaders of the disgruntled association have been ordered to stop the quarreling.

"We told them that if they have internal or administrative problems, they should settle this among themselves. They should not destroy the institution because of personal conflicts," Defensor said.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, whose department has jurisdiction over the NBI, has been tasked to intervene in the row. — With Paolo Romero