The new agent-in-charge of the Bacolod National Bureau of Investigation,Ferdinand Lavin, yesterday said he will work at improvingthe NBI system of issuing clearances and is seeking additional agents to serve the needs of Negros Occidental.

Lavin, who replaces Jose Ermie Monsanto as NBI Bacolod chief, has served aschief of the NBI anti human trafficking, counter intelligence, anti organized crime, anti illegal recruitment, anti graft, anti fraud, and anti illegal recruitment divisions, as well as chiefof the NBI National Capital Region, and as NBI executive officer.

Initially, he said, he sees the need to augment the NBI Bacolod personal attending to its clearance services and the structure of their office to improve the flow for their clients.

He hopes to also get airconditioning for the clearance section to ensure the comfort of their clients.

“People are payingfor NBI clearances, it isonly fair to give back in terms of services,” he said.

Lavin said he has also requested for three to four more NBI agents for the Bacolod office, noting that at present they only have two plus him.

Ideally the Bacolod NBI office should have from eight to 10 agents, based on the volume of cases it is handling, he added.

As for having assets or confidential agents, Lavina said he will ask for guidance from higher management of the NBI.

He noted that Justice Secretary Leila de Lima had issued a directive to stop the work ofall confidential agents.

Lavin urged the public to reportpersons who may be claiming to be connected with NBI or name-dropping the names of its officials, even if they have nothing to do with the agency.

The official turnover of the NBI top post to from Monsanto to Lavin will be held Monday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the justice secretary, in a memorandum datedJanuary 20, directed NBI Assistant Director Medardo de Lemosto submit an investigation report on a complaintfiled by Darryl Cadagat against Monsanto.

Cadagat, who worked as a volunteer at the Bacolod NBI office as part of the group operating the computers that issue clearances, claimed that in September last year he was hit several times by Monsanto at their office.

Monsanto, however, said it was not true that he hit Cadagat.

Heput a stop to “fixing operations” in the application for clearances, and that is the reason why he ordered Cadagat and another volunteer to leave, Monsanto said.*CPG

back to top