NBI chief quits

NBI Director Nonnatus Rojas. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – National Bureau of Investigation Director Nonnatus Rojas has tendered his irrevocable resignation, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said on Monday.

Rojas’ resignation came after President Benigno Aquino III himself disclosed that charges are being readied against two NBI officials who had allegedly tipped off  Napoles about the warrant of arrest issued  against her last  August 14.

While the resignation was irrevocable, De Lima said it would still be subject to the President’s approval though she said she would recommend to Aquino not to accept it, saying that the NBI chief still has her trust.

“It goes to show that he (Rojas) is very principled. It goes to show that he has delicadeza na kahit alam niya at in-explain ko na na hindi ikaw ang tinutukoy ng Pangulo,” De Lima said.

(It goes to show that he is very principled. It goes to show that he has delicadeza even if I have already explained to him that he wasn’t the one being referred to by the President)

In interview with Inquirer editors and reporters Thursday, Aquino said the two NBI officials had ties to senators implicated in the scam allegedly masterminded by Janet Lim-Napoles.

The President  refused, however,  to name the two though reports said they were the ones who had tipped off Napoles’ impending arrest even before a warrant was actually issued.

On August 28, Napoles surrendered to the President after he announced the P10 million bounty for anyone with information leading to her arrest.

The NBI has been building a case against Napoles and others linked to her alleged bogus non-government organizations which were used to channel P10 billion Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) known as “pork barrel.”

Aquino said the team building the case is “a very trusted team” but they “could not be tasked” to do other work such as surveillance.

In fact, he said, both Rojas and De Lima have to contend and sometimes rely on “less trustworthy” agents because the NBI is severely undermanned.

Related Stories:

Aquino smells rat at the NBI

Raps readied vs 2 NBI execs who tipped off Napoles

Janet Napoles and the pork barrel scam

 Originally posted: 12:39 pm | Monday, September 2nd, 2013