National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Magtanggol Gatdula said Thursday he would assign more directors to head NBI regional offices.

He said some regional offices are run only by assistant regional directors (ARDs) or head agents (HAs).

“So we have to assign regional directors to the 17 regions. There should be 17 regional directors and 17 ARDs,” said Gatdula.

Gatdula said he wanted to level the playing field of the agents.

“It is unfair to those who have been working hard. You need to go through this, managing a region, while being promoted,” said the new NBI director.

Gatdula also guaranteed improved services in the NBI regional offices.

He earlier said that the NBI was studying the possibility of dissolving some units due to redundancy.

“We have to maximize our manpower to address the concerns of people going to the NBI and ensure a more effective delivery of services,” said Gatdula.

However, Gatdula said the bigger NBI units or divisions functioning well would be retained.

He also said the NBI will create other units which are needed, such as a death investigation division, to handle killings of members of the media and militant groups.

“We will assign crack investigators here to focus on death investigations,” said Gatdula.

He said the NBI will also put up an Environmental and Wildlife Protection Law Enforcement Division to address environmental concerns.

“We have to keep at pace with the needs of times. Whatever cases are needed, that’s where we will assign the personnel,” he said.

He asserted the need to create relevant divisions and give them resources for better accomplishments.

With the improvements underway, Gatdula believes NBI personnel would realize their dream of making the agency one of the best in the country comparable with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

“They are willing to have these improvements. I have talked to the different organizations and to the different division chiefs. They are all with me,” said Gatdula.

He vowed to bring back the “glory of the old days of the NBI” when the bureau was feared and revered; feared by lawless elements and revered by law-abiding citizens.