Criminals seek refuge at NBI?

ONE of Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim’s key officials yesterday lamented that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) under the Department of Justice (DOJ) is now being used by criminal suspects as their refuge.

In an interview, Lim’s chief of staff and media bureau chief Ric de Guzman also chided SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza whom he said had been using squid tactics by means of creating ghosts and imaginary threats to his life in a desperate effort to cover up the fact that the blood of the Hong Kong tourists who were killed during the Quirino hostage incident are in his hands and that of his brother, dismissed Capt. Rolando Mendoza.

These days, he said, criminals now find it convenient to seek refuge at the NBI no matter how grave their transgressions may be, citing how PO2 Antonio Bautista also gave up to the bureau while the police were hunting him down on charges that he raped a vendor right inside the MPD headquarters.

Now, De Guzman said, it’s Mendoza’s turn to seek refuge from the NBI, for his alleged participation in the bloody hostage-taking incident.

De Guzman said it should not be forgotten that Mendoza was ordered restrained by Lim during the incident after the hostage negotiators complained that he (Gregorio) was provoking his brother to get angry and also egging him on to continue with the hostage taking.

It was also noted at that time that Mendoza was displaying an “agitated” kind of behavior which makes it necessary for him to be restrained, he pointed out.

These, according to De Guzman, are the reasons why Mendoza will direct his attacks against Lim.

“He is entitled to his opinion and that it is up to him to believe what he wants to believe. Sino ba ang nakademanda? Sinasabi niya hina-harass siya ng mga colonel pero ’di naman niya pinapangalanan kung sino,” he said.

“Ang ipinagtataka ko lang, bakit NBI na ngayon ang nagiging sanctuary ng mga rapist at ngayon naman ay suspect na kasapakat sa hostage-taking?” De Guzman said.