PNP Director General Alan Purisima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA Philippines — Over the increasing involvement of police personnel in crimes, a member of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) called on Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima to resign.
At the sidelines of the House of Representatives public order and safety committee probe on Wednesday, VACC board member Arsenio Evangelista said Purisima should step down for failed leadership in light of the Edsa highway robbery allegedly at the hands of police personnel.
“[The PNP] leader, most of the time, is unseen and unheard… We believe it’s time that a change in leadership takes place because the people on the ground are getting demoralized,” Evangelista said.
Asked if Purisima should resign, the VACC official said: “Yes… He was given enough time [to lead the PNP].”
Evangelista went on to call the PNP a “crime syndicate organization.”
“[The PNP] is very well-funded, they do their operations with accuracy—as shown by what happened in Edsa, and the police officers are well-trained, they’re very skilled,” he said.
With the involvement of police officers in high-profile crimes, the public doesn’t know anymore “whom they can turn to,” Evangelista said.
“What’s worse is that the police are now using their material and human resources against us,” he said.
At least 12 policemen, mostly from La Loma police station, were tagged in the P2 million kidnap-robbery case along Edsa last week. A photo taken by a netizen showed gun-wielding men surrounding a van in broad day light. The victims have surfaced and accused members of the La Loma police as being behind the robbery.
One of the suspects, Chief Inspector Joseph De Vera, admitted that he was in the reported incident but claimed it was an anti-drug operation.
On early Wednesday, Senior Inspector Allan Emlano of the Caloocan City police, surrendered to authorities to deny his involvement.
RELATED STORIES
8 QC cops busted in fake Edsa drug bust
2nd cop charged in Edsa kidnap