THE chief of the National Bureau of Investigation Counter-Terrorism Division was declared dead on arrival at a hospital past midnight yesterday after sustaining a gunshot wound inside his office at the NBI main headquarters in Manila.
The Manila Police Homicide Department said NBI-CTD chief Raoul Manguerra was pronounced dead at the Manila Doctors Hospital at 12:02 a.m. Tuesday due to a gunshot wound on his abdomen.
NBI Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin confirmed Manguerra’s passing, saying he died “early this morning (past midnight).”
“Chief Manguerra died of a gunshot wound inside his office at the Counter-Terrorism Division,” Lavin added.
Manguerra, 49, according to an NBI official who requested anonymity, was a dedicated counter-terror operative who was instrumental in the apprehension of more than 30 Abu Sayyaf members since he assumed the post in 2018.
“As the CTD head, he led his men in preventing attempted terror attacks in the country,” the official said.
The police report said the shooting happened at 11:39 p.m. Monday inside the NBI-CTD office at the main NBI headquarters in Manila but there was no mention whether Manguerra shot himself or who shot him as well as to the type of weapon used.
MPD probers said they were able to talk to Manguerra’s live-in-partner, lawyer Maria Rosario Bernardo, who said the NBI official was suffering from stage 3 colon cancer.
“She also verbally manifested that they preferred the NBI to conduct the investigation,” the MPD said.
Bernardo told police probers that she received a call from an NBI-CTD staff about the incident and she went to the hospital where Manguerra was brought by his driver and an NBI casual employee.
Lavin declined to provide additional details on Manguerra’s death and said the circumstances surrounding the incident are still being investigated.
“The Director has ordered a thorough investigation into the incident, including a lockdown on the NBI premises immediately after the incident. The case is still under investigation,” Lavin said.
