Roxas won’t pressure PNP chief to quit amid wealth probe

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and PNP Director General Alan Purisima INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Hounded by questions here about reforms in the Philippine National Police (PNP), Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II refused to make a stand on issues surrounding the beleaguered Philippine National Police (PNP) Director Genral Alan Purisima who has been facing a Senate inquiry into his alleged ill-gotten wealth.

“No one is above the law,” Roxas told reporters here on Tuesday, but quickly added that the scrutiny of Purisima’s wealth should “go through a process” to ensure fairness and prevent political intrigue from smearing the inquiry.

“No one is above the law, ipapatupad natin ang batas, kasama na nito ang malinis at wastong pamamahala (we’re going to follow the law, and this includes ensuring a clean and good governance),” Roxas said, who was in Davao City for the launching of the Koalisyon ng Mamamayan Para sa Reporma or Kompre (Coalition of Citizens for Reform).

When asked to comment about Purisma’s refusal to resign from his post despite mounting calls for him to resign, Roxas said, “Nasa sa kanya iyan (It’s up to him). As the President said, everything will have to go through the process. Today, he is facing the Senate, I don’t know what he is going to explain, so, let’s just leave it to at that.” “Everything has to follow the right process,” he said.

Asked whether he, as DILG secretary, would personally recommend for the PNP chief to resign during an investigation into his wealth, Roxas said, “We cannot just do something without following the right process, in that way, we cannot be accused of doing it personally, we have to take actions only based on evidence.”

He also said his office has been finalizing the memorandum of understanding to be signed by the PNP, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Office of the Ombudsman, to conduct a lifestyle check on all police and government officials.

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