NBI turns 75 years

MANILA, Philippines—At 75 years, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has set a goal for achieving modernization by year 2020, director Magtanggol Gatdula said in a speech at the agency’s diamond anniversary celebrations on Wednesday.

With the NBI Clearance System, the agency will be implementing an online payment system by Dec. 1 to make the processing for NBI clearances faster and more convenient, according to Gatudula.

The agency also began implementing this year the National Biometric Clearance System (NBCS) whereby applicants’ fingerprints are stored for easier retrieval of records.

President Aquino attended the anniversary ceremonies with his justice secretary, Leila de Lima, and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim.

Mr. Aquino thanked the NBI’s 1,100 employees for the agency’s accomplishments in the past year, including its campaign against human trafficking which yielded more than 30 arrests and 100 rescues of minors and women and the arrest of members of the West African drug syndicate victimizing Filipinos abroad whom they use as drug couriers.