Manila Standard Today reports that Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila de Lima has designated Ilocos Regional Prosecutor Nonnatus Caesar Rojas as the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) officer-in-charge starting Monday, January 30. The report noted: "Rojas has been a regional prosecutor for more than 20 years and is now the chairman of the regional prosecutors of the Philippines."

The report quoted De Lima, who said Rojas "would oversee the bureau’s day-to-day operations aside from his duties as regional prosecutor." But, she emphasized, "his authority would not include signing contracts or dismissing staff."

The report said that De Lima "decided to appoint an outsider in light of the pending revamp of the bureau’s deputy directors as an offshoot of the case of Noriyo Ohara, who claims NBI officials had tried to abduct her to shake her down for P6 million." In fact, former NBI chief Atty. Magtanggol Gatdula was sacked because of it. Gatdula, however, maintains that he was unjustly fired and was not given the chance to confront his accusers.

Meanwhile, according to the report, "several members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, January 24, said retired Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, who is now Customs deputy commissioner, appeared to be the popular choice to replace Gatdula."

For more on this story, log on to Manila Standard Today Online.