Purisima must quit to save PNP, VACC tells lawmakers

THE WRITING ON THE WALL The ideal police force is described as a guardian of the peace and servant of the people—a reminder to all who pass by this perimeter wall at Camp Crame, the PNP headquarters, in Quezon City. LYN RILLON

The Philippine National Police is facing a leadership crisis and Director General Alan Purisima must go if he wants to save the organization, an anticrime watchdog official told lawmakers on Tuesday.

According to Arsenio Evangelista of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) board of trustees and officers, the national police force was in need of a change in leadership after the series of incidents involving its personnel, including the brazen robbery and abduction on Edsa that was photographed by a motorist and went viral on social media.

Speaking at a hearing called by the House public order committee, the father of car dealer Venson Evangelista who was killed in a carjacking in 2011, described Purisima as an “unseen and unheard” leader.

According to him, it was also a sign of Purisima’s weak leadership that he could not even answer charges leveled against him over the purported misuse of the PNP’s material resources.

“The taxpayers’ money is being spent against us,” Evangelista said, adding that Filipinos were paying for the guns and skills used by some police officers behind cases of “hulidap”  [arresting suspects on trumped-up charges and releasing them in exchange for money], particularly the Sept. 1 incident in Mandaluyong City.

His remarks drew an objection from Misamis Occidental Rep. Henry Oaminal who complained that Evangelista was out of line as Purisima was not present to defend himself.

But others in the committee, including its chair Negros Occidental Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer and vice chair Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop disagreed, saying his comments were valid as these were related to the problems the PNP was facing.

“The environment and the culture existing within an organization [are] determined by its leader. If a leader wants laxity, he will be the example,” said Cebu Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia.

Pangasinan Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil, a former PNP spokesperson, suggested that Purisima was not demonstrating good leadership although he did not say so directly.

“When leaders are not so conscious of their duties and their responsibilities, those down the line will likewise relax and go wayward because of what they see from their leaders,” he said as he added, “I believe he has something to do with what is happening right now.”

The House committee had called the meeting to shed light on the Edsa incident and another case involving a policeman, PO3 Domino Alipio, who allegedly went on a shooting spree at a high school, killing four persons.

Speaking to reporters afterward, Evangelista said he wanted Purisima out to give the national police force a fresh start.

“Perhaps it’s about time there’s a change in the leadership of the PNP because he [Purisima] was given enough time. Second, there are many accusations in the media, including the P25 million White House [renovation]… which we believe is immoral and improper due to conflict of interest,” he said.

He also cited media reports about Purisima’s “unexplained wealth” and his purported refusal to submit a statement of assets and net worth.

Director General Alan Purisima

“This is not an attack on the person of the PNP [chief]. We just want to save the organization. We’re here to remind him that we’re here as watchdogs watching him,” Evangelista said.

He added that the crime situation in the country was very alarming “to the point that the PNP organization can be called a crime syndicate organization.”

“Why? Because it is well funded. They do their operations with accuracy. We saw they’re well-trained, skilled,” he said.

“Who do we run to? What’s more painful is that our resources, [the] human and material resources of the PNP [and] their skills are being used against us,” Evangelista said.

The Inquirer tried but failed to reach PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac for comment.

Despite criticisms against Purisima, the PNP earlier reported a 15.63 percent decrease in crime incidents nationwide for the first six months of the year. It said total crime volume went down to 346,469 cases from January to June 2014 compared to 410,665 during the same period last year.

Also at the hearing, Eastern Police District director Chief Supt. Abelardo Villacorta briefed the lawmakers on the progress of the investigation into the Edsa incident.

He said one member of the robbery group whom he did not identify had also figured in a P12 million kidnapping case.

A background check also showed that the group of suspects, many of them members of the La Loma police station, had staged similar hulidap heists in the past, Villacorta said without providing details.