Administrative Order No. 374, December 18, 1961

EXONERATING ASSISTANT DIRECTOR NATIVIDAD DE CASTRO OF THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

This is an administrative case against Mr. Natividad de Castro, assistant director, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), filed by the acting chief of the office, Lt. Col. Jose G. Lukban, for allegedly (1) conspiring with a questionable Chinese and certain NBI agents to dislodge the complainant from his position, in which they temporarily succeeded, (2) abandoning his office after failing in his attempt but continuing to collect his salary, (3) using government telephones for his romantic relations, and (4) continuing in his scheme to ease out the complainant from his position with the aid of some NBI agents and an influence peddler romantically linked with highly placed government officials. The charges were investigated by a committee composed of First Assistant Solicitor General Guillermo E. Torres and Special Prosecutor Alejandro E. Sebastian of the Department of Justice, which found the charges without merit and recommended the respondents' exoneration. The Secretary of Justice agrees with the committee.

CHARGES I AND IV

The evidence shows that efforts were really exerted to have the complainant relieved as NBI acting director in favor of the respondent. However, there is no conclusive evidence that the respondent was the one who actually maneuvered the easing out of the complainant from his position. According to the respondent, if he aspired for the position of NBI Director, which was logical enough under his circumstances, it was because of his belief that Acting Director Lukban would be detailed or promoted elsewhere.

CHARGE II

The charge of abandonment is clearly unfounded. Respondents not being in the office occasionally appears to have been due, among others, to the fact that he had confidential assignments from this Office to be performed outside and that he was directed to investigate certain cases in Cotabato. While indeed the respondent might have been late in coming to the office or early in leaving it, it was possible that the same was due to the exigencies of the service. At any rate, as the No. 2 man of the bureau, the respondent was not bound to strictly observe office hours, and considerations for his rank demand that he should not be treated like a minor employee on matters of attendance.

CHARGE III

Some undue importance seems to have been given by the complainant to an isolated telephone call to the respondent from a woman who appears to be a family friend. There was nothing from the recorded telephone conversation that would arouse the sensibilities of anyone.

In view of the foregoing, and upon the recommendation of the investigating committee and the Secretary of Justice, Mr. Natividad de Castro is hereby exonerated from the charges.

Done in the City of Manila, this 18th day of December in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and sixty-one, and of the Independence of the Philippines, the sixteenth.

(Sgd.) CARLOS P. GARCIA

President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) EDILBERTO B. GALLARES

Assistant Executive Secretary