MANILA – Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II has ordered a probe of corruption allegations against the National Bureau of Investigation’s Cybercrime Division and Digital Forensics Laboratory.
“Corruption has no place anywhere in the DOJ family. It has no place at all in government service. The President’s marching orders to me when I was appointed was clear and simple: ‘Sec. Vit, absolutely no corruption!’ We will relentlessly enforce that order,” Aguirre said Monday.
He created a fact-finding committee to investigate the alleged corruption and other anomalies, issuing DOJ Department Order No. 460 signed July 4, 2017.
The committee will be chaired by Raymund L. Mecate, DOJ Undersecretary in Charge of the NBI; with Assistant Secretary Juvy R. Manwong as vice chairperson.
Members of the panel are NBI Internal Affairs Services Head, Eric B. Distor; DOJ Office of the Cybercrime OIC-Director Jed Sherwin G. Uy; and Atty. Noel O. Adriatico.
The fact-finding committee is tasked, among others, to probe the alleged corruption and other anomalies supposedly committed by personnel of the NBI against the owners/employees of Intellcash International Inc., Datacentric Corporation and Delta Clout.
It was also tasked to determine the administrative and/or criminal liabilities, if any, incurred by the members of the NBI’s Cybercrime Division and Digital Forensic Laboratory and other component offices who participated in the operations.
Aguirre directed the committee to submit a final report with recommendations to him within 30 days from its receipt of D.O. No. 460.
“More than a year ago, when I assumed office, I addressed the men and women of the NBI to help me wage war against corruption. I exhorted them to live up to the NBI’s ideals of nobility, bravery and integrity. All of these traits are worthless if corruption is present. Corruption destroys the spirit of genuine public service. We want to end corruption in the DOJ Family, we want to end corruption in the government. Those are the orders of President Duterte. We can only end corruption if we end our ties with corrupt people”, Aguirre said.
“This probe is one way to separate the good from the bad. The bad and the undesirable elements must be severed before they infect and taint the careers of the still many good men and women of the NBI,” Aguirre added.
