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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 13 NBI special task force agents relieved after 'irregular raid' of suspected online scam hub in Bulacan

13 NBI special task force agents relieved after 'irregular raid' of suspected online scam hub in Bulacan

Published Aug 6, 2025 12:12 pm  |  Updated Aug 6, 2025 01:24 pm
Thirteen members of the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) Special Task Force (STF) have been relieved of their posts and assigned to other offices as a result of an “irregular raid” of a suspected online scam hub in Malolos City in Bulacan last July 14.
NBI Director Jaime B. Santiago said the STF members were relieved to prevent any possible tampering of the evidence seized in the alleged online scam hub.
The relief and investigation of the 13 STF members, including its chief, were a result of the complaint filed by the Chinese embassy in Manila and the lawyer of those arrested, he also said.
Santiago did not identify the members of the STF.
In a radio interview, Santiago said the members of STF, after surveillance, applied for a search warrant and instead of Malolos City, the place where the warrant will be served was pinpointed as Sta. Rita.
Thus, he said, the Malolos City court, which issued the search warrant, has no jurisdiction because the place to be searched is in Sta. Rita town in Pampanga and not in Malolos City.
Thus, he explained that because of the defective warrant, the case against those arrested can be dismissed and the evidence seized cannot be used as evidence.
He also said that during the raid various equipment were seized and persons suspected to be operating the hub were arrested, and the passports of those arrested were confiscated.
Later the STF reported that the arrested foreigners were undocumented.
At the same time, the minors who were present in the raided establishment were not taken into custody. Instead, Santiago said a woman was assigned to take care of the minors.
The complaints against the 13 STF members have been endorsed by Santiago to the bureau’s Internal Affairs Division for investigation.
Santiago recalled the STF was created by the Department of Justice (DOJ) long before he took over as director as a special unit directly under the NBI director and tasked to immediately act on the directives issued by the DOJ and Malacanang.
He said that STF was not dissolved. At the moment, he added, that he has been scouting for new agents to compose the STF.
He also said the legal counsel of the arrested Chinese nationals wrote a letter and complained about the raid.
Lawyer Hanz Darryl D. Tiu will meet with Santiago on Thursday, August 7 to discuss the complaint.
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