Purisima a no-show at Senate hearing on rising criminality

PNP Director General Alan Purisima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Philippine  National Police Director General Alan Purisima was a  no-show Tuesday  at a Senate hearing  on  the  rising crime rate in the  country, which almost  prompted two senators to  adjourn  the proceeding.

Senator Grace  Poe, who  presided over the hearing of the Senate committee on public order joint with  the local government and finance, immediately questioned  Purisima’s absence after   she opened the proceeding a little  after  1p.m.

“Why General Purisima is not present here today?”  Poe  asked.

Responding to the senator’s query, Police Superintendent  Alexander  Ignacio, director for  plans  in the  PNP,  explained that when they received the invitation to attend the hearing, they were made  to believe that they would present  on  the  proposed modernization plans of the   PNP.

But Poe  said whether  the subject was  tactical or about the PNP modernization, Purisima  was still  the  “most qualified”  or the authority to answer  those issues.

“I don’t think it takes an expert to realize what’s being discussed nowadays is the rising criminality.  And this would have been the best  forum  for him (Purisima) to  explain the need to have those modernization bills passed. Do you agree sir?” she asked  again, to which Ignacio answered  yes.

“So for the record, why is he not  here..? What is he attending to today?”  Poe asked  again.

Ignacio said   he  was not aware of Purisima’s schedule  but said he would convey the senator’s “dismay” over his absence  in the hearing.

Senator Vicente “Tito”  Sotto III, an opposition member,  said   he was  tempted to  move  for the adjournment of the proceeding if  it were not for other  resource persons present in the  hearing.

“Sen. Sotto,  actually I was also tempted to do the same except that we have the private sector represented here and  if we cant get substantial information from the PNP right  now for lack  of authority perhaps,  then we can  ask the  private sector to do the presentation  and we will call on the PNP to comeback when the chief is ready or will give  us the courtesy to show up,”  Poe  said.