HOUSE Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Sunday urged the National Bureau of Investigation to simplify and speed up the process of issuing its clearance and make it valid for all purposes.
Alvarez recently summoned NBI Director Dante Gierran to a meeting at his office and proposed that Gierran make the NBI clearance “valid for multipurpose use.”
He made the suggestion following complaints from the public.
“We have to speed up and simplify the process,” Alvarez said.
“Improving the system will ease the burden of ordinary Filipinos. That is the public service they deserve and part of the President’s order to make government offices function effectively.”
Alvarez said Gierran welcomed his proposal.
“Our NBI director is receptive to my proposal because this is for the common good of the people,” he said.
“Why not make this a one-time application that is valid for all purposes within a specific period of time?”
Alvarez said the NBI must also computerize its system of updating court records.
“Usually, an applicant has to secure first a court approval before getting an NBI clearance despite the fact that a case against him was dismissed a long time ago.
“There is also the case of a person whose namesake is facing a case in court but with a different surname.
“Why can’t we issue a clearance at once in such cases?”
Alvarez wondered why NBI could easily be updated if a person was facing a court case but now when the case had been dismissed.
“This is not right,” he said.
“The current system of NBI clearance issuance is costly and unfair to many applicants, especially to ordinary Filipinos.”