Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said on Thursday, June 2, he has approved the relief of the head and officers of the National Bureau of Investigation-Cybercrime Division (NBI-CCD) while they are undergoing probe on an alleged anomalous operation.

NBI Officer-in-Charge Director Eric B. Distor had recommended the relief of Assistant Regional Director Victor V. Lorenzo, head of the NBI-Cybercrime Investigation and Assessment Center (CIAC), and other officers of the NBI-CCD.

“I have informed OIC Chief Distor about my approval of his recommendation for the relief of the NBI personnel concerned. The order for the relief of Cybercrime Division personnel involved in the subject operation will come from the OIC Chief of the NBI,” Guevarra said.

Guevarra said he learned that the investigation by the NBI’s Internal Affairs Division (NBI-IAD) concerns “the service of a warrant to search, seize, and examine computer data in a certain establishment in Manila last May 31 where some alleged irregularities were observed.”

“No further details could be given at this time, as the matter is being investigated by the IAD,” he said.

“We just want to make sure that similar operations in the future will be conducted in a most professional way,” he also said.

He explained that the relief of officials “is a standard operating procedure whenever any NBI official or agent is under investigation by the Internal Affairs Division in order to preserve the evidence and preclude any undue influence during the investigation.”

“As SOJ (secretary of justice), my interest is to maintain professionalism, discipline, and ethical conduct among the personnel and operatives of the premier investigating agency in our country,” he stressed.

Please read: Relief of NBI’s cybercrime officials sought for ‘anomalous operation’ https://mb.com.ph/2022/06/02/relief-of-nbis-cybercrime-officials-sought-for-anomalous-operation/