Vice President Jejomar C. Binay lauded the National Bureau of Investigation’s contributions in the anti-trafficking drive in the country during the launching of the bureau’s 75th anniversary on Monday.
The Vice President said his position as the chairman emeritus of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) and chairman of the Presidential Taskforce Against Illegal Recruitment (PTFAIR) allowed him to have a “first-hand knowledge” of the contributions of the NBI in curbing human trafficking.
“The NBI’s efforts have aided us greatly in upgrading our status in the U.S. State Department’s Trafficking In Persons Report for 2011. And on behalf of President Aquino and a grateful nation, I thank you for your untiring efforts,” he said.
Binay said he hoped the NBI will also be at the forefront in stemming emerging threats including cybercrime, terrorism, and organized crime.
“We must aggressively pursue these threats and bring them before the courts for proper disposition,” he said.
The Vice President called on the NBI to be exemplary public servants and provide the citizenry with noble examples of service to emulate.
“Nobility is the first virtue in the NBI motto and this calls you to exude a higher standard of goodness,” he said.
During the anniversary launch, Binay also led the awarding of the first HOPE (Honorable Outstanding Patriotic Exemplary) Awards for the NBI, organized by the Manila Jaycees and the Basilio Group.
He urged the awardees to “raise the already high standards of this esteemed bureau and strengthen its capacity to face the challenges of the future.”
“The bureau’s 75 years have been filled with achievements of legend. As we move towards its first century of service, I have the firmest faith that its best days are yet to come,” Binay concluded.
(30)
