NBI bosses end squabble

The squabbling at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has been resolved after Acting Director Nestor Mantaring and disgruntled subordinates sat down to discuss issues and iron out differences.

Mantaring met yesterday with his deputy directors and division chiefs, including Deputy Director for Intelligence Services (DDIS) Edmund Arugay, who earlier criticized his boss over the recent reshuffling at the bureau.

"We just talked, knowing that these are internal matters that we have to resolve ourselves. We talked for the betterment of the bureau," Mantaring said.

Arugay said he was no longer interested in withdrawing the expression of support for Mantaring, who is still waiting for Malacañang to appoint a permanent director.

He said one positive outcome from the squabbling was that it served as "a wake-up call or blessing in disguise for management of the bureau to improve our system."

Both officials, who shook hands after the meeting, said bureau operations have returned to normal.

In a resolution dated June 28, 2006, 16 officials of the NBI Investigators Mutual Benefit Association Inc. (NBI-IMBA) expressed their grievances against their chief, whom they said has performed poorly.They signed a resolution calling for the withdrawal of support and clamored for the appointment of a "better director."

The resolution was supposed to have been submitted to President Arroyo.

Arugay clarified that what they had withdrawn the other day was not the support to the acting director but to the endorsement previously made.

He was referring to a Dec. 23, 2005 NBI-IMBA resolution expressing their support to Mantaring.

"As far as the management of the Acting Director is concerned, we still respect him because he is the duly installed head of this office," Arugay said.

He said, he asked NBI-IMBA chairman of the board Rafael Ragos to convene another meeting.

"I will recommend the recall of the resolution. We just need a dialogue, which has been lacking. I think we do not need an outside force because we are all professionals," he added.

To prevent another misunderstanding among the bureau officials, Mantaring has formed a committee that will review the system or procedure on promotions, assignments and reassignments of personnel.

He tapped Arugay to head the committee.

Arugay said he would still honor the special order that transferred him from DDIS to DD Comptroller Service. The reshuffle takes effect on Monday.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez earlier said the NBI-IMBA committed a breach of discipline.

But Arugay defended their actions. "I think we did not commit any misdemeanor or any breach of discipline because we just aired our concerns and after that we went back to work."

As for the issues raised in the three-page resolution, he said it was "water under the bridge" and that he is leaving it to the directorial staff to deliberate on them.