Subject: CDI 1

Description: Fundamentals of Investigation and Intelligence

Instructor: Rachelle G. Deligero, RCrim.

HISTORY OF INVESTIGATION IN THE PHILIPPINES

Learning Objectives

At the end of this chapter the students should be able to;

1. Trace the historical development of investigative practices in the Philippines

from pre-colonial times to the modern era;

2. Identify key historical events that influenced changes in investigative methods;

and

3. Analyze how legal reforms have impacted investigative practices over time.

Brief History of Investigation

Criminal investigation is an ancient science that may have roots as far back as c. 1700
BCE in the writings of the Code of Hammurabi. In the code, it is suggested that both the
accuser and the accused had the right to present evidence they collected. In the modern era,
criminal investigations are most often done by government police forces. Private investigators
are also commonly hired to complete or assist in criminal investigations. An early recorded
professional criminal investigator was the English constable. Around 1250 CE, it was recorded
that the constable was to "... record...matters of fact, not matters of judgment and law."

Early Beginnings In The Philippines

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, widely known as the CIS, came into
existence out of the great necessity of the Philippine Constabulary to organize a unit that would
primarily handle the investigation of major crimes. This move aimed to free other constabulary
units of the time consuming and highly specialized investigative works. The Criminal
Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has its beginnings in 1901 with the creation of the
Information Section of the Insular Constabulary pursuant to Section 2 of Act 253 of the
Philippine Commission. It was given the task of investigating crimes against the security of the
state. Before the outbreak of World War Il, it was renamed Information Division and later Police
Affairs Division.

On January 19, 1953 it was formally christened as the Criminal Investigation Service
(CIS) under the C-2 Division of the Philippine Constabulary. It was given the task to "detect,
investigate and prosecute major crimes in coordination with other law enforcement bodies."
Sometime in 1960, CIS was placed under the C-3 Division. With the upsurged of criminality
during the early 70's, it became necessary for all field units of the CIS to be placed under the

Bohol Island State University - Balilihan Campus

College of Criminal Justice

Subject: CDI 1
Description: Fundamentals of Investigation and Intelligence
Instructor: Rachelle G. Deligero, RCrim.

direct command and control of a CIS Chief based in Camp Crame. The reorganization was
contained in General Order Number 132, HPC dated January 1, 1971.

In line with the reorganization of the PC into 12 Regional Commands, the CIS also
underwent another change in its organizational set-up. Pursuant to GO Nr 135 HPC dated
August 9, 1978. Twelve (12) CIS Regional Offices were created to provide investigative
support to the PC/INP Regional Commands all over the country.

When RA 6975 was enacted into law in 1991, CIS continued to be the primary
investigating arm of the Philippine National Police charged with the following missions:

1) Undertake the monitoring, investigation, and prosecution of all crimes involving

economic sabotage, and other crimes of such magnitude and extent to indicate their
commission by highly placed or professional criminal syndicates and organizations; and

2) Investigate all major cases involving violations of the Revised Penal Code and operate
against organized crime groups, unless the President assigns the case exclusively to the
National Bureau of Investigation.

From then on, CIS was renamed Criminal Investigation Service Command (CISC) then
to Criminal Investigation Command (CIC), Criminal Investigation Group in 1996 and finally
renamed to PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) pursuant to NHQ LOI
49/96 code name "Detektib".

National Bureau of Investigation

The National Bureau of Investigation (Pambansang Kawanihan ng Pagsisiyasat,

abbreviated as NBI) is an agency of the Philippine government under the Department of
Justice, responsible for handling and solving major high-profile cases that are in the interest
of the nation.

The NBI was modeled after the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
when it was being established.

History of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)

José Yulo and Manuel L. Quezon, the forefathers of the National Bureau of
Investigation, on a 2011 stamp of the Philippines. The Division of Investigation, later renamed
the National Bureau of Investigation, came into existence on June 19, 1947, the date Republic
Act 157 was approved.

Bohol Island State University - Balilihan Campus

College of Criminal Justice

Subject: CDI 1
Description: Fundamentals of Investigation and Intelligence
Instructor: Rachelle G. Deligero, RCrim.

Its history goes back to November 13, 1936, when a Division of Investigation (DI) under
the Department of Justice was created with the enactment of Commonwealth Act No. 181 by
the First National Assembly. Section 1, C.A. No. 181 provides:

A Division of Investigation under the Department of Justice is hereby created. It shall

be composed of such personnel as may be necessary, in the discretion of the Secretary of
Justice, and its duties shall be to help in the detection and prosecution of crimes; to acquire,
collect, classify and preserve criminal identification records; and to obtain information on all
matters affecting the public interest.

The Division of Investigation was the brainchild of Commonwealth President Manuel

L. Quezon and the then–Secretary of Justice José Yulo. A veteran American police officer,
Capt. Thomas Duggan of the New York Police Department (NYPD), and the only Filipino
member of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Flaviano Guerrero, were
hired by the Philippine government to organize the Division of Investigation of the Department
of Justice. The formation of the DI generated considerable public interest, and more than 3,000
applied for the initial 48 positions of NBI agents. Physical and medical examinations were
conducted by doctors from the Philippine General Hospital and San Lazaro Hospital.
Of the 3,000 applicants, only 150 were allowed to take the mental test, and of this
number, less than 100 passed. After further screening, 48 were certified for employment, and
of these successful candidates, only 45 actually accepted appointments as Agents.

The DI was then formally organized in 1937 and was composed of forty-five (45) Agents
and approximately 100 officials and employees. These included lawyers, doctors, chemists,
fingerprint technicians, photographers, research assistants, clerks, stenographers, janitors,
and messengers.

The DI office operated in Manila, where its Agents and technical personnel were
dispatched to the provinces from time to time to investigate crimes of public interest or when
the necessity arose.

The DI operation was suspended upon the surrender of the

Commonwealth Government to the occupying Japanese forces during World War II. The
Japanese, however, revived the DI and allowed it to function as a division under the
Department of Justice until the establishment of the Japanese puppet Philippine Republic of
President José P. Laurel.

During the Laurel administration, the DI was merged with the Secret Service Division
of the Metropolitan Constabulary (Manila Police Department or MPD) and the Intelligence Unit
of the Japanese-run Philippine Constabulary.

Bohol Island State University - Balilihan Campus

College of Criminal Justice

Subject: CDI 1
Description: Fundamentals of Investigation and Intelligence
Instructor: Rachelle G. Deligero, RCrim.

Upon the liberation of the Philippines by combined Filipino and American forces in
1945, the DI was not immediately reorganized since most of its original members were
seconded in the service of the United States Army Counterintelligence Corps (CIC).

After the surrender of Japan in August 1945, the DI was reactivated, and the original
members were called back to the service.

The reactivated DI started with no records or equipment, most of which had been
systematically destroyed by DI personnel for security reasons to prevent classified documents
and equipment from falling into the hands of the Japanese.

In 1947, as the Philippines struggled to recover from the ravages of war, criminality in
all its forms increased dramatically, straining the meager resources of the newly reorganized
police service in effectively combating sophisticated organized crime groups and the solution
of complex crimes.

Due to the increase of lawlessness in the land, DI personnel agitated for the conversion
of the Division of Investigation into a bureau, believing that an enlarged, highly professional,
and better-equipped bureau similar to that of the American Federal Bureau of Investigation
was needed to effectively fight organized crime groups and solve crimes of a complex nature.

In response, Congress filed House Bill No. 1162, from which Republic Act No. 157
originated. R.A. 157 was approved by Congress and enacted into law on June 19, 1947, which
renamed DI to the Bureau of Investigation (BI).

On October 4, 1947, R.A. 157 was amended by Executive Order No. 94 to change the
name from BI to the National Bureau of Investigation.

Currently, the NBI operates under the Department of Justice with significant autonomy, led by
a Director appointed by the President. It has regional offices throughout the Philippines and
responsible for criminal investigations, forensic examinations, intelligence gathering, and
immigration control. As the NBI continues to evolve, it remains a vital force in upholding the
rule of law and protecting the Filipino people, reflecting the nation's ongoing struggle for justice
and public safety.

The NBI is an integral component of the Philippine law enforcement system,

entrusted with a diverse range of responsibilities and a distinctive mandate. Established
under Republic Act No. 10867, the NBI's primary roles, the types of cases it investigates,
and its relationship with other law enforcement agencies set it apart as a premier
investigative body.

The headquarters of NBI is located at Taft Avenue, Ermita, Manila.

Bohol Island State University - Balilihan Campus

College of Criminal Justice

Subject: CDI 1
Description: Fundamentals of Investigation and Intelligence
Instructor: Rachelle G. Deligero, RCrim.

Reference:

Amr, C. T. (2023, December 5). What is NBI? A Brief Overview of the National Bureau of
Investigation | Philippine Go. Philippine Go. https://philippinego.com/gov/what-is-nbi/

Bohol Island State University - Balilihan Campus

College of Criminal Justice