Marcos appoints retired Manila RTC Judge as new NBI chief

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has named retired Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Jaime Santiago as the new National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin confirmed Santiago's appointment to Palace reporters through a Viber message on Friday, as the latter took his oath before the official in Malacañang.

Santiago, a former Deputy Chief of the Manila Police Department's SWAT team and famous '90s sharpshooter who inspired the movie "SPO4 Santiago Sharpshooter," has replaced Medardo de Lemos.

De Lemos has continued serving as the NBI head beyond his intended retirement in 2023.

Santiago served as the presiding judge of the Manila RTC after his career as a policeman. In 2005, he was appointed as the presiding judge of Metropolitan Trial Court (MeTC) Branch 12, and in 2011, he was promoted to presiding judge of Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 3, Manila.

He received numerous accolades as a police officer, including Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year from the WPD, one of the Ten Outstanding Policemen of the Philippines (TOPP) by the Jaycees, and an Act of Heroism Award from the NCRPO, among others.

Santiago completed his BS in Criminology at the Philippine College of Criminology (PCCR) from 1978 to 1988 and studied law at Manuel L. Quezon University (MLQU-LAW) from 1989 to 1993.

He also served as president of the Metropolitan and City Judges Association of the Philippines and was a member of the Supreme Court’s Committee on Security.