NBI urges whistleblower to identify alleged personnel in sabungeros case

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Jaime Santiago on Monday strongly urged whistleblower “Alias Totoy” to name the NBI personnel allegedly involved in the disappearance of several cockfighting enthusiasts, or sabungeros, stressing that the allegations are serious and damaging to the agency’s integrity.

“He should say who they are—point them out. If he doesn’t know the names, we can even line up our personnel so he can identify those he suspects are from the NBI,” Santiago said.

He added, “But it’s unfair for the name of the Bureau to be dragged into this without any specific individuals being identified. These are very serious accusations.”

The NBI chief expressed frustration over Totoy’s vague statements, particularly in light of his reported claims that the Philippine National Police (PNP) would carry out executions and that the NBI was merely being asked for a “view.”

“My God! He needs to name who in the NBI he’s referring to,” Santiago said. “Right now, the National Bureau of Investigation is an institution trusted by the public. If he doesn’t identify anyone, then how can we investigate?”

Santiago also emphasized that he was not yet NBI director when the disappearances occurred.

“Let’s remember, when those incidents happened in 2021 and 2022, I wasn’t yet the NBI Director. But now, as you can see, the Bureau has earned the trust of the public again. These baseless accusations should not be allowed to tarnish that,” he said.