The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is constructing new buildings at its headquarters along Taft Avenue in Manila.
This will be preceded by the demolition of the NBI’s Main Building, including its detention facility in Manila, leading to the transfer of detainees under its care and supervision.
Luckily, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) has agreed to house the NBI detainees, apparently until the new buildings are fully built.
In a press statement that, BuCor said that to implement this, BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. and NBI Director Medardo G. De Lemos formalized their arrangement during simple ceremonies for an exchange of symbolic key held at the BuCor Headquarters in Muntinlupa City.
In this connection, Catapang assured that he will not allow the NBI detainees out of the BuCor detention facility.
The two government agencies, which are under the Department of Justice (DOJ), in March 2023 signed a Memorandum of Agreement wherein BuCor will allow the use of its facilities as a temporary lock-up facility of individuals the NBI arrested.
In the arrangement, the NBI shall be responsible for providing its own personnel in guarding and securing the BuCor facility and its premises.
Under the MOA, all persons detained at the facility shall be under the responsibility of the NBI subject to existing rules and regulations of BuCor, which include visiting privileges to be granted by the NBI to the families, friends and lawyers of the detainees.
Catapang said that if NBI detainees must attend hearings or will be brought out for medical check-up, proper coordination should be in place “since they will go through our checkpoints.”
“We welcome them here,” said Catapang. “Even our firing range, they (NBI) can use it for firearm proficiency training and familiarization of their personnel.”
De Lemos thanked Catapang for accommodating them, saying that affected structures to be demolished aside from the NBI main buildings include their detention facility, where arrested individuals are placed while waiting for the result of inquest proceedings and orders coming from the courts.
Under the MOA, the NBI shall be responsible for the custody of their detainees including their transfer to attend court hearings. They will also provide sufficient manpower complement for the administration of the facilities, including the necessary security escort personnel of the detainees.
The NBI shall also be responsible for providing its detainees with its basic needs such as food, water, and other provisions.