PNP chief defends Cavite cops

PNP Chief, Director General Alan LM Purisima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday defended the policemen who have been staking out the Bacoor City residence of Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., claiming to be after a group of armed men who had allegedly sought refuge in the senator’s house last Monday.

“There’s no politics involved (in this police operation),” PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima told a press conference at Camp Crame.

“We’re just performing our duty. We have been observing the process according to police operation procedures. The police investigate only based on facts,” he said.

He said the members of the Cavite police, who have virtually cordoned off Revilla’s residence on the Aguinaldo Highway, are after the several armed men that they claimed to have seen entering the house several hours before the voting centers opened last Monday.

Still there

“The persons who took refuge (in Revilla’s house) were still there and they are allegedly armed. So we are after those people, not for anything else,” Purisima said.

He gave an assurance that the PNP would cooperate should the Senate decide to conduct an inquiry into the incident, as Revilla had told the media.

Purisima stressed that the agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) who were arrested outside the senator’s house were not exempted from the election gun ban.

He said only one of those arrested was a regular NBI agent while the rest were just “confidential agents.”

Purisima also noted that NBI Director Nonnatus Rojas has clarified that the agency no longer employs confidential agents.

“That’s why we’re closely coordinating with the NBI in investigating what really happened (that day),” he said.

The standoff started at midnight last Sunday after Cavite police surrounded the Revillas’ sprawling residence, saying they were seeking a group of 20 armed men wanted for various election offenses who were allegedly hiding in the senator’s house.

In a press conference on Monday, Revilla said he sought help for additional security from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Cavite. The Cavite police arrested the six NBI agents, five of whom were confidential agents, found in Revilla’s house and charged them with violations of the election gun ban.

Purisima said the tension could have been avoided had the local police spoken with Revilla and sought his permission to enter the house.

Hot pursuit

“During a police operation, if you are going after violators of [the] law, you can enter the place because you are on hot pursuit,” he explained.

“What the policemen should have done was to knock on (Revilla’s) door and ask humbly for the senator’s help. The police have that right. But that did not happen,” he said.

Purisima reiterated that any accusation of electioneering against PNP personnel should be backed up by evidence.

“We are validating all the reports (about policemen involved in partisan politics). It’s better if we have complainants or witnesses who will give us information so we can [act on them],” he said.