New NBI director afraid of ‘jinx’

He may not be afraid of crooks, but is the new director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) afraid of an office?

NBI chief Nestor Mantaring says he has no intention of moving into the director’s office where four of his predecessors died during their incumbency.

Mantaring plans to convert the director’s office, on the third floor of the NBI headquarters on Taft Avenue in Manila, into a museum featuring memorabilia from past directors. He insists he does not believe the office is jinxed, and he simply prefers to remain in his office on the second floor of an adjacent building.

"I just do not want to transfer to another room because I am comfortable in my old room. I was the first to occupy this room in 2000," he told reporters.

"This is where I became deputy director, assistant director, officer-in-charge, acting director and director. So I guess you could say that this office is lucky for me," he said.

In 1995, then NBI chief Antonio Aragon died on June 23 after serving for only six days. Santiago Toledo died on May 1, 1999 while he celebrating his 65th birthday. He headed the bureau from Feb. 4, 1996 to May 1, 1999.

Federico Opinion Jr., who replaced Toledo, died on Dec. 15, 2000, while some of the NBI divisions were holding their Christmas party. Mantaring’s immediate predecessor, Reynaldo Wycoco, died on Dec. 19 last year. He suffered a stroke from a ruptured brain aneurysm and went into a coma for 26 days.

When asked if he has any plans of consulting a feng shui or Chinese geomancy expert to bring in good fortune, Mantaring isn’t inclined to do so. "Things look OK anyway," he said.

As for the director’s office, Mantaring said: "We can convert it to a museum where we can store the memorabilia which have been part of the previous NBI directors."

Mantaring has instructed NBI public information office chief Alex Carbonel to contact former NBI directors and ask for items they would like to contribute to the memorabilia collection.

President Arroyo signed Mantaring’s appointment paper on July 27.

His appointment was welcome news to NBI officials and personnel, who prefer the director to come from within their ranks. The post is filled by presidential appointment.

Rumors from Malacañang have been circulating in the NBI that former Manila police chief Pedro Bulaong might be appointed assistant director or one of its deputy directors. Two top NBI officials are up for retirement.

This prompted 27 top bureau officials, led by acting assistant director Alejandro Tenerife, to send a three-page letter last Wednesday thanking President Arroyo for appointing Mantaring.

However, they also asked Mrs. Arroyo not to appoint an outsider to the bureau. "To underscore our appeal, may we cite a provision of the NBI manual of operations that in the selection of an (assistant director), a candidate for said position must be a lawyer. Moreover, apart from being presidential appointee, high-ranking positions from NBI director, assistant director, deputy directors down to regional directors are career service positions," they cited in their letter.

One of the signatories, regional director Reynaldo Esmeralda, of the NBI-Special Task Force, said NBI officials and personnel who have made exemplary performance should be given due recognition to inspire them to do better.

"With the appointment of Mantaring, there will be a chance for NBI organic personnel to rise in ranks. Line agents will work harder, so they would have a chance and high hopes of becoming an NBI director in the future," Esmeralda said.

Only three officials did not sign the letter: deputy director Edmund Arugay, anti-terrorism division chief Romulo Asis and criminal intelligence division chief Rafael Ragos.

"It was supposed to be a ‘thank you’ letter," Arugay said. "I didn’t sign because of the insertion. They are trying to limit the prerogative of the President with that letter."