NBI logo over a shot of the facade of its headquarters
MANILA, Philippines – Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Monday said he already knew the person from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) responsible for bringing in sexy dancers to perform in its recent command conference.
At a press conference, Remulla said there was an attempt to approach him.
“I want an explanation to be in writing. When there is a disciplinary matter, you allow the internal rules to pave the way so that they will police themselves,” Remulla said.
Remulla said an internal investigation is already being conducted. He said there were already facts given to him, such as who offered to bring the performers, how it happened, and who were present.
“At least, you are talking about the whole NBI leadership there,” he said. For now, what the DOJ can do, he said, is to look at the NBI’s disciplinary procedures.
“We will not preempt them from coming up with their own findings…I cannot say how far we will go, but definitely, this will not slip by,” he assured.
Remulla said what is certain is that the payment for the performers did not come from government funds.
“These were voluntary contributions to an affair of old men who thought they were adolescents,” he said.
A video of dancers doing provocative performances at an NBI command conference went viral.
“Nakakahiya po itong pangyayaring ito. Hindi po namin gusto ang nangyari,” Remulla said.
(What happened is really embarrassing. We did not want this to happen.]
“Marahil dapat tingnan natin yung kulturang yan ng mga Pilipino. Sana mga noontime shows, wala nang sumasayaw-sayaw na mga bata. Pati minsan mga batang musmos pinapasayaw-sayaw nila, ginagawang bikini contestant…Yung ating kultura bilang Pilipino dapat ibahin natin. Hindi lang po ito sa NBI kundi sa ating lahat mismo. May problema po bansa natin,” he added.
(Perhaps we should look into that Filipino culture. In our noontime shows, I hope children will no longer be made to dance. Sometimes even very young children are made to dance, turning them into bikini contestants… We should change our Filipino culture. This applies not only to the NBI but to all of us. Our country has problems.)
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