Purisima back, seeks meet with Aquino

By: Nikko Dizon - 10 years ago

PNP Chief Alan Purisima. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Beleaguered Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Alan Purisima quietly arrived on Friday from his official trip to Saudi Arabia, the Inquirer learned from well-placed sources on Saturday.

Earlier reports said Purisima was set to return over the weekend, but he apparently decided to return ahead of schedule.

Purisima was abroad when the Office of the Ombudsman ordered his six-month preventive suspension over an alleged anomalous courier service contract the PNP signed with Werfast Documentation Agency in 2011.

The courier service was meant for a door-to-door delivery of the firearms licenses of gun owners.

Eleven other PNP officers, three of them generals, were also suspended.

Purisima wants to have an audience with President Benigno Aquino III, presumably to discuss his suspension, but it remains unclear when this would take place, a Palace source said.

Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, the PNP’s third in command, has been designated officer in charge of the 150,000-strong police force until Dec. 9.

What then is the status of Purisima between the time he arrived and Dec. 9?

An exact date for the start of the six-month suspension has yet to be announced by Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, who has oversight powers over the PNP and its leadership.

Roxas was dispatched by President Benigno Aquino III to Borongan, Eastern Samar, to oversee the government’s preparations for Typhoon “Ruby” (international name: “Hagupit”), which was expected to make landfall near where Supertyphoon “Yolanda” pummeled the Visayas last year.

Focus on typhoon, not PNP

On government-run Radyo ng Bayan, Roxas said that everyone’s focus should be on the typhoon and not the controversy in the PNP. This was Roxas’ answer to the question of whether or not Purisima’s suspension was a welcome development.

It is widely believed that Roxas and Purisima are at odds with each other, which the two have dismissed as unfounded rumors.

“The story here is the story of Ruby, the PNP’s preparations for Ruby. The PNP is bigger than any one person, than Mar Roxas, Alan Purisima or any one else. The entire force of the PNP is focused [on the typhoon]. Our police and firemen are putting their lives on the line to ensure the safety of our countrymen and they know what to do regardless of who is the OIC or chief [of the] PNP,” Roxas said in Filipino.

Ombudsman order executory

Nonetheless, Roxas said he had reported Purisima’s suspension to President Aquino.

“The order of the Ombudsman is executory so we will implement that,” Roxas said.

On the report that Purisima planned to file a temporary restraining order against his suspension, Roxas said it was the right of the PNP chief to do so.

“That is [part of] the (judicial) process. That’s not under our purview. For the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) and the Napolcom (National Police Commission), it’s executory. In fact, it is mandatory to execute it, whether you are a mayor or whatever official you are, that’s what happens,” Roxas said.