National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Jaime Santiago will continue to comply with his duties so as not to disrupt the smooth flow of operations until a reliever has been appointed, he confirmed with Manila Standard on Sunday.
Santiago submitted an irrevocable resignation citing an orchestrated move to blemish his reputation.
It stemmed from allegations of having a collector or ‘bagman’ extorting money from illegal gambling operators and online ‘sabong.’
In a press briefing earlier this month, Santiago shared that he has already ordered the NBI Central Luzon Regional Office (CELRO) to investigate and conduct entrapment operations to a certain ‘Paul Tangkad.’
“I can face all of you, the media, my officers here at the NBI. I can look you in the eye, I have no collection, I have no quota,” he said in Filipino.
Santiago earned the public’s trust and confidence for his swift action on the administration’s directive on worsening cybercrimes and online scams, arresting high-profile fugitives, and cracking down on illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) and gambling activities.
Among the accomplishments of the NBI under his leadership includes the arrest of POGO-linked personalities such as Alice Guo, Shiela Guo, and Cassandra Li Ong, as well as expelled Rep. Arnolfo Teves, Jr.
For his part, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio, legal counsel of Ong and Teves, expressed on Sunday his gratitude for the services rendered by the former NBI chief ensuring his clients are treated with “compassion, humanity and full adherence to the basic tenets of human rights.”
In June 2024, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed Santiago as the bureau’s head replacing Medardo de Lemos, who retired from government service.
Early in his career, he worked as a contractual employee with the NBI. He was a decorated police officer and sharpshooter in Manila.
Later, Santiago worked as a prosecutor before his appointment as presiding judge in the Regional Trial Courts (RTC) in Manila, Tagaytay, and Taguig, where he also received several recognitions.
