MANILA, Philippines (PNA) — Responding to the need to enhance the country's investigative capability, Senator Edgardo Angara called on Monday for the strengthening of one of the country’s premier law enforcement agencies, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

“As an agency tasked to look into all sorts of crimes and offenses against Philippine laws, we must fast-track the development of the NBI so that they are able to stay a step ahead,” said Angara.

Angara recently filed Senate Bill No. 2724, known as the NBI Reorganization and Modernization Act of 2011. The bill seeks to enhance the NBI’s effectiveness through a two-fold plan.

First, modernizing its investigative programs to address the rapidly changing needs of the times and acquiring state-of-the-art investigative and intelligence equipment to keep up with the global developments in technology.

Second, by securing the welfare of its employees: adequate compensation packages, benefits and privileges, health and accident insurance, and scholarship grants for their continuing education and training.

“With all that is happening in the world and in our very own country, we cannot afford to have a law enforcement agency which struggles to keep pace with events due to obsolete equipment or lack of training. It is for our own good that we develop and maintain a highly competent core of investigators,” Angara said.