Delfin Lee captor sacked

‘RELIEF OR PROMOTION?’ PNP Director General Alan Purisima (left) relieves Senior Supt. Conrad Capa (right) as head of the task force that captured fugitive businessman Delfin Lee, and promotes him as deputy chief for operations of the Cebu regional police office. An angry Capa took offense at his relief, saying he was no match to Lee’s influence. He later said he would apologize to Purisima. PURISIMA’S PHOTO FROM PNP-PIO / CAPA’S PHOTO BY JOAN BONDOC

MANILA, Philippines—A senior police official who led the arrest last week of businessman Delfin Lee, wanted for syndicated estafa in connection with a multibillion-peso housing scam, has been removed from his post.

“What’s my reaction? I’m mad. After I arrested Delfin Lee, they just dumped me,” Senior Supt. Conrad Capa told the Inquirer on Thursday.

“I’m very angry. I’m very frustrated… Frustrated is still a very kind word. You write that down. You can quote me on that. I will not take this sitting down,” Capa said in a raised voice.

A member of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1985, Capa lambasted Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima for ordering his relief as head of Task Force Tugis.

Capa had served as Purisima’s intelligence officer since the latter was designated by President Aquino Central Luzon police director in 2010.

Asked why he was removed from his post, Capa said: “I was no match for Delfin Lee. I cannot fight that influential man. It’s now me who’s being harassed.”

A day after Lee’s arrest, Vice President Jejomar Binay, head of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and chair of the Pag-Ibig Fund, said influential people went to Camp Crame to make the police release the housing developer.

It turned out that Oriental Mindoro Gov. Alfonso Umali, treasurer of the ruling Liberal Party, called up Purisima to inquire about Lee’s arrest.

There was also the controversy over the deletion of Lee’s name from the PNP list of wanted criminals.

Lee, who went into hiding after an arrest warrant was issued against him by a judge in Pampanga province, where many victims of his alleged housing scam live, is detained at the provincial jail in the City of San Fernando.

Surprised

Capa said he was surprised when he received on Wednesday night Purisima’s order designating him deputy regional chief for operations of the Cebu regional police office.

Although he was upset, Capa said he was ready to accept his new assignment and even planned to report to Purisima’s office Thursday morning.

He said his frustration turned to anger upon learning that the PNP chief announced his relief at a news briefing at Camp Crame before noon Thursday.

Promotion

At the press conference, Purisima said Capa’s new designation was a reward and a step closer to his eventual promotion to chief superintendent, a one-star rank equivalent to brigadier general in the military.

“His relief is a promotion. He cannot be promoted to chief superintendent if he stayed in Task Force Tugis, so he had to be transferred,” the PNP chief told reporters.

Purisima said Capa was long overdue for that position.

But Capa twitted his superior, saying it would still take some time for him to become a chief superintendent because the post given to him was only the third-highest position in the regional PNP office in Cebu City.

He said if Purisima really wanted to promote him, he could have assigned him to an equivalent post at PNP national headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City.

“This is not a promotion, that I can tell you. What he said is actually misleading. I will not be promoted there. Mabubulok muna ako bago ma-promote (I would rot before I get promoted),” Capa said.

He said Purisima was fooling the public. “While the people are sending me congratulatory messages, I was relieved by the PNP chief. I don’t understand why,” he said.

Despite Task Force Tugis’ accomplishment, Capa said Purisima did not even commend him, but Interior Secretary Mar Roxas called to congratulate him and his men for arresting Lee.

“I’m telling you there was not one nice word from him (Purisima),” Capa said.

Capa also took offense at Purisima’s statement that “Capa is not Task Force Tugis,” saying he gave guidelines and financial assistance to the tracker team that arrested Lee at the lobby of the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Casino in Ermita, Manila, on March 6.

“That is an insult to me. Of course I was not physically present during Lee’s arrest because I’m the commander. My job is to guide my men and issue instructions,” he said.

Dreamed about Lee daily

Capa said he was so focused on getting Lee that “I dream about Delfin Lee every day.”

“The NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) hunted Lee for almost two years while it took us only a few months to arrest him. It was not just luck, but a product of hard work and vigorous police work,” he said.

Different appreciation

Sought for comment, Chief Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac, PNP public information office chief, said Purisima was sincere when he said that Capa’s transfer was a reward for arresting Lee.

“Apparently, Capa has a different appreciation of the PNP chief’s decision. He may have other personal concerns or issues regarding his reassignment,” Sindac said.

After letting off steam, a calmer Capa faced reporters covering Camp Crame.

Apology to PNP chief

He said Purisima had called him and instructed him not to give interviews to reporters anymore. He said he would apologize to Purisima “for letting my temper get the better of me.”

Asked why he was not happy with his promotion, he said: “Next question, please.”

“I’m happy. Do I really have to answer that? Can’t you see that in my face?” he said with a wry face.

Wanted list

Purisima maintained that the PNP did not delete Lee’s name from the wanted list despite the insistence of the lawyers of the detained property developer.

In a Jan. 8 letter to Lee’s lawyer, Emmanuel Pichay, Purisima said the PNP “is in the process of delisting Mr. Delfin Lee from the list of wanted persons.”

He also told Pichay that the PNP “fully recognizes and acknowledges” the Nov. 7, 2013, ruling of the Court of Appeals, which quashed the arrest warrant against Lee.

But Purisima said the removal of Lee’s name from the list was not tantamount to revoking his arrest warrant.

He said he did not find anything wrong with the phone call he received from Governor Umali shortly after Lee’s arrest.

“He just asked if the warrant was valid. I told him it was still valid. That was the only subject of the conversation,” Purisima said, adding that the call lasted for only a minute.

Asked if the governor had tried to block Lee’s arrest, the PNP chief said Umali did not attempt to intervene. “Nobody can ask a favor from me if it involves law enforcement matters,” Purisima said.

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