Santiago, a former police officer and trial court judge and a renowned sharpshooter of the Manila Police District, succeeded Medardo de Lemos on June 17.
An appointee of President Marcos, Santiago pledged to prioritize the fight against cybercrime, "use all intelligence funds" as a reward system for outstanding employees and enhance public trust in the bureau.
"This is a dream come true," Santiago said during his oath-taking ceremony.
The NBI's Cybercrime Division, led by Jeremy Lotoc, made waves early on.
On June 21, the bureau arrested three members of the hacking group LulzSec, which is responsible for breaching government websites, banks and social media accounts.
Subsequent operations netted three more suspects for hacking the Philippine Navy database.
The efforts underscored the bureau's commitment to safeguarding the country's digital infrastructure.
Human trafficking operations linked to cybercrime also took center stage, with NBI agents dismantling a trafficking ring tied to Chinese and Russian crime groups in July. These led to the rescue of 11 victims, including minors and foreign nationals.
Pursuit against fugitives
The NBI played a crucial role in apprehending high-profile fugitives.
This story is from the December 28, 2024 edition of The Philippine Star.
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This story is from the December 28, 2024 edition of The Philippine Star.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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