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Ex-NBI OIC Distor on floating status, says DOJ Sec. Remulla

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Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Former National Bureau of Investigation OIC Eric Distor has been placed on floating status as the Department of Justice determines the legal implications of his previous appointment, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla said Wednesday.</p><p>“Distor? Floating, because we have to determine the legality of his being given a coterminous position vis-a-vis his career [post], kasi he accepted a coterminous position,” Remulla said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.</p><p>Distor was an assistant director, a permanent post, before he was appointed by former President Rodrigo Duterte as NBI OIC on February 22, 2020.</p><p>On March 22 this year, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea issued a memorandum creating a senior deputy director (SDD) post, to which Distor was appointed on the same day.</p><p>But President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. eventually appointed long-time NBI assistant director Medardo De Lemos as new NBI Director.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/01/22/medardo-de-lemos-is-new-nbi-director">Medardo de Lemos named new NBI director: Palace</a></li></ul><p>In early August, the DOJ said Distor will return to his post as assistant director, not senior deputy director because the latter has been deemed “invalid, ineffective and non-existent” as it is outside the staffing pattern of the agency under RA 10867 or the “National Bureau of Investigation Reorganization and Modernization Act.”</p><p>In a letter to Distor dated July 27, the Civil Service Commission said the SDD position was among those deemed vacant with the issuance by Malacañang of Memorandum Circular No. 1 dated June 30, 2022, but that he is entitled to go back to his assistant director post.</p><p>Remulla said there is a need to amend the law that created the NBI.</p><p>“We really have to amend the law creating the NBI, the charter. If we don’t amend that, everything becomes, most of it becomes coterminous,” he said.</p><p>“Ang nangyari, under the Revised Administrative Code, the continuing power to reorganize the government is vested in the government. So if he allows it to happen, if he reorganizes the government but if the Charter is not changed, it will just become a politically-charged position that will be coterminous with the appointing power,” he added.</p><div><strong>NBI RESHUFFLE</strong></div><p>The Justice secretary, meanwhile, said he had no hand in the reshuffle at the bureau.</p><p>On Tuesday, De Lemos released a press statement outlining the reorganization of the NBI leadership structure intended to make the bureau “more effective and responsive to the increasing demands of investigative and intelligence functions.”</p><p>De Lemos designated deputy director Antonio Pagatpat as the new Deputy Director for Administration (ODDA), while assistant director Jose Justo Yap was named OIC of the Office of the Deputy Director for Operations (ODDO).</p><p>He also named four assistant directors/OICs under ODDA and three assistant directors/OICS under ODDO, and reassigned the NBI’s regional directors.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/17/22/nbi-chief-reshuffles-officials-in-key-positions">NBI chief reshuffles officials in key positions</a></li></ul><p>“I do not micromanage the NBI. I will just review the reshuffle. I will look for the feedback… I have trust and confidence in Director De Lemos. I trust that he will do a good job and he is doing a good job,” he said.</p><div><strong>RELATED NEWS</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2190614" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Former NBI OIC Eric Distor has been placed on floating status as the DOJ determines the legal implications of his previous appointment, Justice Secretary Boying Remulla said.

Ex-NBI OIC Distor on floating status, says DOJ Sec. Remulla

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Ex-NBI OIC Distor on floating status, says DOJ Sec. Remulla

Mike Navallo,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 24, 2022 04:59 PM PHT

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NBI

eric distor

DOJ

Department of Justice

Boying Remulla

NBI leadership

National Bureau of Investigation

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