MANILA: National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Nonnatus Rojas tendered his resignation yesterday, citing command responsibility amid allegations that two of his men aided businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles in evading arrest last month.
“If there’s one hint that trust and confidence has waned, then I think the head of the agency has no option but to offer himself as the first to go,” Rojas told reporters.
“Even if I am not the one involved, I should be held answerable,” he added. “That’s an honourable thing to do.”
President Benigno Aquino was yet to accept the resignation of Rojas, according to presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda.
“There has been no action yet. I don’t want to speculate or get ahead of the president,” he told a news briefing, adding that he is not aware if the Office of the President has received Rojas’ resignation letter.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Rojas did not cite his reason in his resignation letter, but believed it was in response to the president’s statement that there are “rats” and “less than trustworthy” officials in the NBI.
The president on Thursday told Asian journalists that two NBI officials had ties with senators implicated in the 10-billion peso congressional fund scam, of which Napoles is the alleged operator.
“When I summoned him to my office, he told me he thinks it’s the most honourable thing to do under the circumstances, where doubts are being cast on the integrity of the NBI as an institution... He became too sensitive,” De Lima said.
She said she believed the president was misquoted in reports insinuating that the leak on Napoles’ indictment came from the NBI and that the Department of Justice was preparing charges against at least two officials.
“I’m not aware of charges to be filed against the two NBI officials. I think the president was referring to the filing of charges against senators and not the unnamed NBI officials,” she said.
THE PHILIPPINE STAR
