Aquino defends PNP Chief Purisima

President Benigno S. Aquino III and Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Alan Purisima.  Malacañang Photo Bureau/PCOO

NEW YORK CITY—President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning in Manila) defended Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Alan Purisima against allegations that he has enriched himself while in government service.

At a media briefing, the President said in the nearly three decades he had known Purisima, he never saw the police official “eat too much or live luxuriously.”

“The way I know Alan… I have known him since 1987, I have never seen him na maluho o matakaw (live luxuriously or eat too much),” Aquino said, when sought for comment after a citizens’ group filed a plunder complaint against Purisima at the Office of the Ombudsman.

Nonetheless, the President said he still “would want to see the details of the complaint” filed by the consumer rights group, The Coalition of Filipino Consumers.

The group said Purisima was liable for plunder for accepting donations amounting to some P25 to P30 million from his Mason brothers for the renovation of the PNP Chief’s official residence in Camp Crame called the “White House.”

They also questioned the allegedly spurious gun licensing contract approved by Purisima.

Originally posted: 12:56 pm | Wednesday, September 24th, 2014

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