MANILA, Philippines – When Senator Grace Poe asked National Police chief Alan Purisima how he would rate himself and his efforts in the organization from 1 to 10, he gave himself an almost perfect score.
“Your honor, I rate myself about 9,” said Purisima, who has been accused of amassing ill-gotten wealth.
Poe, head of the Senate committee on public and order, was neither surprised nor impressed by the answer and she moved on to another matter.
The senator, who presided over the hearing, noticed inconsistencies in some of Purisima’s statement, particularly about his property in San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija.
“General Purisima, although you have a case pending, I’d like to say that it’s the inconsistencies of some of your answers that really gave way to the suspicions that are being thought by many…,” the senator said, referring to the complaint filed against Purisima in connection with the PNP’s “White House.”
The “White House,” the official residence of the PNP chief at Camp Crame, sparked controversy recently after the Coalition of Filipino Consumers (CFC) accused Purisima of plunder and indirect bribery for accepting donations from his Mason brothers to renovate it.
CFC secretary general Perfecto Jaime Tagalog said Purisima was barred from accepting any gifts or donations as a public official.
The group also accused Purisima of graft because he declared his property in San Leonardo town, Nueva Ecija, for P3.75 million, believed to be below the property’s actual value.
Tagalog said the Ombudsman should investigate further since Purisima was refusing to release to the group his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).
At the Senate hearing, Poe further grilled Purisima.
“And this is your chance to be able to explain yourself. We appreciate your presence but eventually the Office of the Ombudsman will decide. But I still stand on certain inconsistencies. I feel there should be more forthrightness on your part, but for the purposes of this meeting today at least we have your answers on record,” Poe said.
Among the inconsistencies that Poe said were “undeniable” was Purisima’s previous denial that he has a house being built in Nueva Ecija.
But during the hearing, Purisima admitted that he has a house but was already built, and not being constructed as earlier reported in media.
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