NBI to transfer to new location by yearend

MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is eyeing relocation after its headquarters along Taft Avenue in Manila showed cracks following the 6.1-magnitude earthquake that struck Metro Manila in April, an official said yesterday.

NBI spokesman Ferdinand Lavin said the bureau is looking at transferring to a new location by the end of the year after the 49-year-old building was condemned by the Department of Public Works and Highways as early as 2015.

The NBI participated in yesterday’s nationwide earthquake drill as it braces for the possible Big One, which could easily topple the five-story building.

The NBI headquarters showed cracks and parts of its floor sank following the earthquake.

“We have to vacate this building, ideally anytime by December. After the recent earthquake, cracks measuring up to eight inches were seen in the building,” Lavin said.

He said the bureau would have to rent a new building for five years while awaiting the construction of a new NBI headquarters.

Offices from the second to the fifth floor were transferred to the gymnasium and the dormitory building after the earthquake, NBI information chief Nick Suarez said.

The NBI will soon open for public bidding the lease for a new location as well as the construction of a new building, according to Lavin.