The Department of Justice has announced that President BENIGNO S. AQUINO III has appointed four (4) Deputy Directors in the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Two (2) of these new appointments are to  fill the vacancies created by the promotion of then Deputy Director VIRGILIO L. MENDEZ to the Bureau's top post last January 2014, and by the retirement of Deputy Director RICKSON L. CHIONG last  November 2013. The other two (2) have been named to replace incumbent Deputy Directors.

The new appointees are, as follows:

1. Atty. EDWARD A. VILLARTA (vice Deputy Director Chiong, ret.), 61, earned his Bachelor of Laws degree from the Far Eastern University in 1977 and passed the bar examinations given in 1978. He served as Regional Director for 12 years and has been in the government service for 34 years. As Regional Director, he was given an Outstanding Case Award for the investigation of the death of Trinidad Arteche-Etong, wife of broadcaster Ted Failon.  In 2012, he was given the Honorable and Outstanding Patriotic Exemplary Award for Personnel-Regional. A number of high profile cases were handled by him, such as the arrest of Asha Atieno, Kenyan national, for transporting 3 kilos of "shabu", arrest of Bella Ruby Erediano for kidnapping and homicide and actively  participated in the investigation of the Maguindanao Massacre. He is presently acting as Officer-in-Charge, Office of the Deputy Director for Technical Service.

2. Atty. RICAR.DO S. PANGAN, JR. (vice Deputy Director Reynaldo O. Esmeralda), 64, finished his Bachelor of Laws from the Baguio Colleges Foundation in 1976 and Criminal Justice Education from the University of Virginia in 1977. He passed the bar examinations in 1977. He worked as a patrolman from 1974 to 1978 in the Baguio City Police Department, Baguio City. He is currently the Regional Director of NBI-Ilocos Regional Office, San Fernando City, La Union. Several awards were given to him for being Top Regional Agent in 1997, Awardee for Public Service by Baguio City Filipino Chinese Community in 2001, Regional Office Achiever for the years 2005, 2006 and 2009 and Gantimpala Agad Award Awardee under the Mamamayan Muna Program of Civil Service Commission in 2006.

3. Atty. ANTONIO M. PAGATPAT (vice Deputy Director Ruel M. Lasala), 50, earned his Bachelor of Laws from the Divine World University in 1988. He started his career in the government as Sangguniang Bayan in LGU Salcedo Eastern Samar. Thereafter, he became a Legal Officer II in the Department of Agriculture (DAR). He joined the NB1 as Investigation Agent I in 1990. At present, he is the Regional Director of NBI-Cebu Regional Office. He also served as the Regional Director in Regions 5 and 8. He handled significant cases such as the investigation of the multi-million scam of Sta. Rita Resettlement Project and rescued 13 female victims of trafficking.

4. Mr. JOSE D. DOLOIRAS (vice former Deputy Director Mendez) 50, is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Career Executive Service Officer VI. He started his career in the government as Accounts Analyst in the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). He started in the NBI in 1988 as an Investigation Agent I. He was appointed as Director I of the NBI in 2008. He is presently holding the position of Assistant Regional Director of NBI-Cebu Regional Office. In 1992, he was given a Presidential Commendation by former President Fidel V. Ramos for the solution on the killing of Mayor Octavio Velasco, Ternate, Cavite. Other cases handled include the arrest of Police Mayor Roman Lacap ( 1997), solution of the killing of former NBI Agent Carlomagno Uminga (2006) and arrest of Jachob "Coco" Rasuman in Marawi City (2012).

The four (4) new appointees will be joining the NBI Directorial Staff, along with Director Mendez, Assistant Director MEDARDO G. DE LEMOS, and Deputy Directors EDMUNDO T. ARUGAY and RAFAEL Z. RAGOS.

The DOJ further announced other re-organizational changes in the Directorial Staff in light of these new appointments, as follows:

1. Incumbent Deputy Director for Comptroller Services (DDCS) RAFAEL Z. RAGOS has been designated as Deputy Director for Regional Operation Services, which has been renamed pursuant to the NBI Rationalization Plan (RatPlan) as Deputy Director for "Regional Operations Service" (DDROS);

2.  Newly appointed Deputy Director EDWARD A. VILLARTA, who assumes the post vacated by retired Deputy Director for Technical Services (DDTS) RICKSON L. CHIONG, shall continue to serve in said capacity, which has been renamed as Deputy Director for "Forensic Investigation Service" (DDFIS), having previously been designated as Officer-in-Charge (OIC) thereof last November 2013;

3. Newly appointed Deputy Director RICARDO S. PANGAN, JR., who replaces Deputy Director for Intelligence Service (DDIS) ESMERALDA, has been designated as Deputy Director for Special Investigation Services, which has been renamed as Deputy Director for "Investigation Service" (DDInvS);

  4. Newly appointed Deputy Director ANTONIO M. PAGATPAT, who replaces DDSIS LASALA, has been designated as Deputy Director for Comptroller Services, which has  been renamed as Deputy Director for "Financial Service" (DDFS);

5. Newly appointed Deputy Director JOSE D. DOLOIRAS, who assumes the post vacated by former DDROS (now Director) MENDEZ, has been designated as Deputy Director for Intelligence Services, which has been renamed as Deputy Director for "Intelligence Service" (DDIntS); and

6. Incumbent Deputy Director for Administrative Service (DDAS) EDMUNDO T. ARUGAY will continue to serve in said capacity.

According to Secretary of Justice Leila M. De Lima, "We welcome these new appointments, with the optimistic view that this development is what will take the National Bureau of Investigation to a higher level of performance and confidence."

"We have been talking about revitalizing the NBI since the very beginning of the Aquino administration. That is how top priority ensuring the integrity and competency of our nation's premier investigative agency has always been. We have made some considerable headway over the last three and a half years, and I truly believe that each change, no mailer how difficult and even painful it may have been for the Bureau and for the Department of Justice to weather, has always been a necessary step to achieving what is best for the agency, the Department, and the nation as a whole. With these four (4) new appointments, in the top tier of the Bureau no less, we can expect greater achievements born, not just out of the infusion of new blood into the Directorial Staff, but also out of the morale boost these appointments are meant to inspire among the rank-and-file. They now how unequivocal proof that dedicated service and clean service records are rewarded. We hope that these positive changes that would emanate from the Bureau's top rank, will trickle down and bear concrete accomplishments among the rest of the Bureau," said Secretary De Lima.