PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. made a very good decision when he appointed former SPO4 Jaime Santiago of the then Western Police District (WPD) as the new director of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Santiago will replace outgoing NBI Director Medardo de Lemos who is set to retire on June 30, 2024.
Born on January 9, 1958, Santiago is a criminology graduate and a licensed criminologist.
While a policeman, Santiago took up a Bachelor of Laws degree at Manuel L. Quezon University and passed the bar exam in 1994 where he got a grade of 81.65%.
Santiago had a colorful career as a law enforcer spanning decades.
He received awards like Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year, Ten Outstanding Policemen of the Philippines of Jaycees and also received an Act of Heroism Award from the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO).
His exploits especially as former deputy chief of the elite SWAT team have brought such pride and glory to the police organization where he belonged, that he became a legend in his own right as a Manila policeman and a sharpshooter.
His notable accuracy when it comes to firing guns is known in such a way that the film industry’s interest was drawn, resulting in his life being turned into a movie titled, “SPO4 Santiago Sharpshooter,” with Senator Bong Revilla in the lead role.
From being a policeman, Santiago decided to shift career and make good use of his being a lawyer.
In 2005, he became the Presiding Judge of the Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 12 in Manila and was recognized as one of the ‘Manila Outstanding Judges’ during the 436th Founding Anniversary of Manila in 2009.
Santiago then became Acting Presiding Judge of various MeTC Manila branches and eventually was voted by his peers as President of the Metropolitan and City Judges Association of the Philippines while serving as a member of the Supreme Court Committee on Security.
On the side, he also was a regular lecturer at the Philippine Judicial Academy Personal Security Training for Judges.
In 2011, Santiago became the Presiding Judge of the Regional Trial Court Branch 3 in Manila and even had additional duties in Tagaytay City and Taguig City.
On Friday, June 14, 2024, Santiago took his oath before former Chief Justice and now Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin as the incoming NBI Director.
With all these accomplishments, Santiago remained grounded.
I am certain that Santiago will take the NBI to greater heights, given his background both as a law enforcer and member of the judiciary, not to mention his intelligence and uprightness when it comes to fair and speedy dispensation of justice.
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