Senator Grace Poe. PRIB
MANILA, Philippines – If the President himself answers issues raised against his office, why not the chief of the Philippine National Police?
Senator Grace Poe, who chairs the committee on public order and dangerous drugs, asked this Tuesday after PNP Director General Alan Purisima failed to attend the committee’s hearing on the current peace and order situation in the country, among others.
“We wanted to hear directly from chief Alan Purisima. We were expecting him at least to give us a plan on where the PNP is heading in light of the current crime situation in our country and to defend the institution and the majority of police officers who are doing their jobs,” Poe said before suspending the proceeding.
“He has gone far too long, relying on his spokespersons to speak for him. The President himself answers issues that are asked by the public of his office. I don’t see any reason why the the PNP chief should be exempt from having to directly address the people.”
Poe said Purisima’s work was not only confined to modernizing the PNP or doing the administrative cases but should also be able to be a “communicator” to the public.
“And he should be able to assure those in the PNP that they can rely on him, that he has plans for them, and that he is on top of the situation,” said the senator.
“So I’m suspending this hearing with much regret until such time where he will make himself available for this hearing. Suspended muna until pumunta dito si General Purisima para eeksplika yung tunay na estado ng peace and order sa ating bansa,” she said.
(The hearing will have to be suspended until general Purisima attends the hearing to explain the real state of the peace and order situation in the country.)
Poe questioned Purisima’s absence at the start of the hearing.
The PNP has gone under fire for getting involved in the recent spate of crimes. The latest was a robbery-kidnap along the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue in September involving 10 policemen, who claimed that they were conducting an operation against illegal drugs.
The photo of the armed policemen surrounding their alleged targets was taken by a netizen and uploaded on social media.
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