Tulfo: NBI needs more budget to train new agents

Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo stressed that appropriate budget should be given to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) as the premier investigative agency of the country so that they can properly and efficiently exercise their mandate.

During the Senate budget hearing on Tuesday (Nov. 14), Tulfo noted that although the 2024 budget of the NBI already increased in the General Appropriations Bill (GAB), he noticed the failure to fund the request of the agency for the training of new agents.

"It appears that only ?8M was granted out of the ?290M requested by the NBI for the expenses for the training of new NBI agents," he said.

Tulfo explained that he is supportive of the budget of the NBI because he has witnessed how helpful they are in pinning down criminals and providing sufficient evidence for prosecutors to actually bring the cases to court.

"The NBI is able to trace scamming hubs, human trafficking houses, and child pornography operations. These big time criminals are really skilled in covering their tracks, and we have to arm our NBI agents with tools to pin these people down," he said.

At the proper time, Tulfo said that he will make the appropriate manifestation to ensure that the full ?290M for the training of new agents will be granted to the NBI.

Additionally, Tulfo expressed support for the increase in the budget of the Bureau of Corrections (BoC). While the bill he filed providing for CCTVs in detention facilities have yet to be passed, Tulfo believes that it could already be implemented considering the problematic security in detention facilities.

"Our detention facilities are intended to rehabilitate our criminals, instead, it becomes a breeding ground for more crimes, where mild law offenders end up being hardened criminals," he said.

"There must be a reliable CCTV system in all common areas and all entry and exit points of our detention facilities. Isama na din po natin mga detention facility sa NBI,"he added.

Lasty, Tulfo called for review of the meal budget of our detention facilities, stressing that the ?70 per day budget for their food is inhumane, and can even in fact lead to corruption and persistence of black market for food inside jails.

Tulfo: Kailangan ng NBI ng dagdag budget para sa training ng ahente

Binigyang-diin ni Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo na nararapat na bigyan ng sapat na budget ang National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) bilang premier investigative agency ng bansa upang maisagawa nila ng maayos at mahusay ang kanilang mandato.

Sa pagdinig sa Senado noong Martes (Nov. 14), binanggit ni Tulfo na bagama't tumaas na ang 2024 budget ng NBI sa General Appropriations Bill (GAB), napansin niya na hindi nabigyan ng pondo ang ahensya para sa pagsasanay ng mga bagong mga ahente.

"It appears that only ?8M was granted out of the ?290M requested by the NBI for the expenses for the training of new NBI agents," saad niya.

Tulfo explained that he is supportive of the budget of the NBI because he has witnessed how helpful they are in pinning down criminals and providing sufficient evidence for prosecutors to actually bring the cases to court.

Paliwanag ni Tulfo, suportado niya ang budget ng NBI dahil nakita niya kung gaano nakakatulong ang ahensya sa paghuli sa mga kriminal at pagbibigay ng sapat na ebidensiya para sa mga prosecutors para madala ang mga kaso sa korte.

"The NBI is able to trace scamming hubs, human trafficking houses, and child pornography operations. These big time criminals are really skilled in covering their tracks, and we have to arm our NBI agents with tools to pin these people down," ani Tulfo.

"At the proper time, I will make the appropriate manifestation to ensure that the full ?290M for the training of new agents will be granted to the NBI," dagdag niya

Nagpahayag din ng suporta si Tulfo sa pagtaas ng budget ng Bureau of Corrections (BoC). Kahit na hindi pa naipapasa ang panukalang batas na inihain niya para sa CCTV sa mga detention facility, naniniwala si Tulfo na maaari na itong ipatupad.

"Our detention facilities are intended to rehabilitate our criminals, instead, it becomes a breeding ground for more crimes, where mild law offenders end up being hardened criminals," saad niya.

"There must be a reliable CCTV system in all common areas and all entry and exit points of our detention facilities. Isama na din po natin mga detention facility sa NBI," dagdag niya.

Nanawagan din si Tulfo na rebyuhin ang meal budget ng mga detention facility dahil ang ?70 kada araw na budget para sa kanilang pagkain ay hindi makatao, at maaari pa ngang mauwi sa katiwalian at paglaganap ng black market para sa pagkain sa loob ng mga kulungan.