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.