MANILA, Philippines鈥擳he National Union of Journalist of the Philippines called on the Justice Secretary Leila De Lima and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Nonnatus Rojas to issue a public apology after its agents posed as media practitioners to conduct a surveillance of the residence of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III.
Reports had it that the NBI鈥檚 Technical Intelligence Division called up a TV5 reporter to say they wanted to observe and gather information at Kiram鈥檚 house. Upon arriving at Kiram鈥檚 house, the NBI agents said they wanted to聽 pose as TV5 news crew to which the reporter did not allow. The reporter also told the Sultan鈥檚 wife Fatima about the agents鈥� presence. Still, the NBI agents introduced themselves as part of the TV news crew.
鈥淭he charade pulled off by the NBI agents was not only unethical, it was downright criminal. They not only willfully endangered the reporter but all other journalists who have been covering the Kiram family amid the unfolding crisis in Sabah,鈥� the NUJP said in its statement.
鈥淲e demand the following from Justice Secretary Leila de Lima:
飩仿犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅燭o issue, with NBI Director Nonnatus Ceasar Rojas, an immediate public apology to the media and a promise not to let such an incident happen again;
飩仿犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅燭o immediately relieve, if not fire, the agents and whoever ordered them to undertake the operation; and
飩仿犅犅犅犅犅犅犅犅燭o file the appropriate administrative and criminal charges against them,鈥� NUJP further stated.
However, De Lima denied having knowledge about the NBI agents who went to the Kiram鈥檚 house in Taguig Wednesday.
鈥淚 immediately texted (NBI) Director Rojas last night after I saw the news and Director Rojas denied issuing any instruction, any order to that effect鈥alang authority,鈥� De Lima said adding that she already ordered to investigate the matter if those three who went to the Sultan鈥檚 house were really NBI agents.