Top cop not missing, quietly working—PNP spokesman

PNP Director General Alan Purisima INQUIRER File Photo

MANILA, Philippines—He may be making himself scarce from the public eye these days, but he’s not missing in action.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday shrugged off media reports that Director General Alan Purisima was “missing in action” following his absence from several news briefings at the PNP national headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Reporters covering the police beat noticed that Purisima had been rarely seen in press conferences since the three-week Zamboanga City siege ended last month.

He was also a no-show at Tuesday’s press conference presided over by Interior Secretary Mar Roxas on the accomplishments of different police units in the just concluded barangay (village) elections.

But Purisima’s absence from media briefings did not mean the leader of the 148,000-strong force was not performing his duties, according to his spokesman, Senior Supt. Wilben Mayor.

Colombia confab

“Actually, the PNP chief just returned to the country (on Sunday) after attending the Interpol conference held in Colombia,” Mayor told the Inquirer.

As national police chief, Purisima led the PNP’s seven-man delegation to the 82nd general assembly of the International Police (Interpol) held from Oct. 21 to 24 in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.

Senior Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac, PNP public information office chief, said Purisima joined the police chiefs of Interpol’s 190 member states in forging closer ties to fight transnational crime and terrorism.

Barangay security

Before he left for the Interpol conference, Sindac said Purisima presided over meetings with senior police officers to draft security plans for the Oct. 28 barangay elections.

On Election Day, he said Purisima monitored the events nationwide at the National Operations Center at Camp Crame.

Sindac’s office provided photographs showing Purisima’s activities in connection with the security preparations for the barangay polls.