National Bureau of Investigation

By: Johoney Jay Marie M Quimco

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is a law enforcement

agency in the Philippines that is responsible for conducting
investigations into major crimes, national security threats, and other
serious offenses. It was established in 1936 and has since played a
significant role in the country’s history.
HISTORY
Early years
The NBI’s roots can be traced back to the Division of Investigation
(DI), which was created under the Department of Justice in 1936. The DI
was tasked with investigating crimes of national significance, such as
graft and corruption, organized crime, and political violence. The
Division of Investigation, later renamed the National Bureau of
Investigation, came into existence on June 19, 1947, the date Republic
Act 157 was approved. Its history goes back to November 13, 1936,
when a Division of Investigation (DI) under the Department of Justice
was created with the enactment of Commonwealth Act No. 181 by the
First National Assembly. Section 1, C.A. No. 181 provides:
A Division of Investigation under the Department of Justice is
hereby created. It shall be composed of such personnel as may be
necessary, in the discretion of the Secretary of Justice, and its duties
shall be to help in the detection and prosecution of crimes; to acquire,
collect, classify and preserve criminal identification records; and to
obtain information on all matters affecting the public interest.
The DI was the brainchild of Commonwealth President Manuel L.
Quezon and the then–Secretary of Justice José Yulo. A veteran American
police officer, Capt. Thomas Duggan of the New York Police Department
(NYPD), and the only Filipino member of the United States Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Flaviano Guerrero, were hired by the
Philippine government to organize the Division of Investigation of the
Department of Justice. The formation of the DI generated considerable
public Interest and more than 3,000 applied for the initial 48 positions
of NBI Agents. Physical and medical examinations were conducted by
doctors from the Philippine General Hospital and San Lazaro Hospital.
Of the 3,000 applicants, only 150 were allowed to take the mental test
and, of this number, less than 100 passed. After further screening, 48
were certified for employment and of these successful candidates, only
45 actually accepted appointments as Agents.
The DI was then formally organized in 1937 and was composed of
forty-five (45) Agents and approximately 100 officials and employees.
These included lawyers, doctors, chemists, fingerprint technicians,
photographers, research assistants, clerks, stenographers, janitors and
messengers. The DI office operated in Manila, where its Agents and
technical personnel were dispatched to the provinces from time to time
to investigate crimes of public interest or when the necessity arose. The
DI operation was suspended upon the surrender of the Commonwealth
Government to the occupying Japanese forces during World War II. The
Japanese, however, revived the DI and allowed it to function as a
division under the Department of Justice until the establishment of the
Japanese puppet Philippine Republic of President José P. Laurel. During
the Laurel administration, the DI was merged with the Secret Service
Division of the Metropolitan Constabulary (Manila Police Department or
MPD) and the Intelligence Unit of the Japanese-run Philippine
Constabulary.
Upon the liberation of the Philippines by combined Filipino and
American forces in 1945, the DI was not immediately reorganized since
most of its original members were seconded in the service of the
United States Army Counterintelligence Corps (CIC). After the surrender
of Japan in August 1945, the DI was reactivated and the original
members were called back to the service. The reactivated DI started
with no records or equipment, most of which had been systematically
destroyed by DI personnel for security reasons in order to prevent
classified documents and equipment from falling into the hands of the
Japanese. In 1947, as the Philippines struggled to recover from the
ravages of war, criminality in all its forms increased dramatically,
straining the meager resources of the newly reorganized police service
in effectively combating sophisticated organized crime groups and the
solution of complex crimes. Due to the increase of lawlessness in the
land, DI personnel agitated for the conversion of the Division of
Investigation into a bureau, believing that an enlarged, highly
professional and better equipped bureau similar to that of the American
Federal Bureau of Investigation was needed to effectively fight
organized crime groups and solve crimes of a complex nature.
In response, Congress filed House Bill No. 1162, from which
Republic Act No. 157 originated. R.A. 157 was approved by Congress
and enacted into law on June 19, 1947, which renamed DI to the
Bureau of Investigation (BI). On October 4, 1947, R.A. 157 was amended
by Executive Order No. 94 to change the name from BI to the National
Bureau of Investigation. On June 12, 2023, Medardo de Lemos term as
NBI Director was extended.
Major accomplishments
The NBI has played a major role in solving many of the Philippines’
most high-profile crimes. Some of its notable accomplishments include:
• The arrest and conviction of numerous serial killers, including Alfredo
Lim and Delfin Lee
• The investigation of the Mamasapano massacre, in which 44 police
officers were killed
• The investigation of the Maguindanao massacre, in which 58 people
were killed
• The investigation of the pork barrel scam, a major corruption scandal
Challenges and controversies
The NBI has also faced its share of challenges and controversies.
Some critics have accused the agency of being corrupt, politicized, and
ineffective. In recent years, the NBI has been criticized for its handling
of high-profile cases, such as the investigation into the death of
journalist Daphne Vera Perea-Soledad.
Current status
Despite the challenges it faces, the NBI remains an important law
enforcement agency in the Philippines. The agency is currently
undergoing a modernization program that is aimed at improving its
efficiency and effectiveness.
References:
National Bureau of Investigation website: https://www.nbi.gov.ph/
Wikipedia article on the National Bureau of Investigation:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/
National_Bureau_of_Investigation_(Philippines)