Herra led colorful career in NBI

MANILA, Philippines - As a special investigator for the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), John Herra led a very colorful career that ended in his dismissal from the bureau on July 25, 2001 for alleged gross misconduct and insubordination.

During his stint with the NBI, Herra became controversial when he was romantically linked to Vizconde massacre star witness Jessica Alfaro while serving as her bodyguard and close-in security.

However, Herra’s career with the NBI ended after he was fired by then NBI director Reynaldo Wycoco and then justice secretary Hernando Perez for allegedly refusing to comply with an official order for him to produce the stolen vehicle of Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile for macro-etching.

Enrile, in a privilege speech in April 1999, charged that Herra was seen escorting his red Mitsubishi Pajero (URB-125) – purportedly issued to his firm, JAKA Investment Corp. – into the NBI compound using a Toyota Corolla (UGY-598).

In his privilege speech, Enrile even branded the NBI as being a “coddler of carnappers.”

The stolen vehicle was later recovered in Barangay Maybunga in Pasig City, which belied Enrile’s accusation that the vehicle was inside the NBI premises. A check with the NBI logbook also showed that no such vehicle entered the compound.

But further investigation indicated that Herra had been driving a Toyota Corolla, which Enrile claimed, was also stolen. The NBI prober was then directed to explain in writing why he was driving the “hot car.”

Herra refused to comply with the directive, saying his car was neither reported stolen nor missing. When he was told to produce the vehicle for macro-etching at the forensic chemistry division, he also refused.

As a matter of defense, Herra said he “surrendered” the vehicle to a certain Ric Simeon, a sheriff of Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 19, to comply with a court order for him to produce the car.