Palace still unsure when PNP chief will start serving suspension order

PNP Director General Chief Alan Purisima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/EDWIN BACASMAS

MANILA, Philippines – Not even Malacañang is sure when Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima would start serving his six-month suspension imposed by the Office of the Ombudsman but acknowledged that it is President Benigno Aquino III who would be appointing an officer-in-charge (OIC) in his stead.

“I don’t have an update whether the suspension order has been implemented. To my knowledge, that would be DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) and the last update that I have is that DILG was waiting for the service of the order,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

Valte explained to the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the suspension order from the Ombudsman was directed to the DILG.

“That is the legal procedure,” she said.

Valte also said that as of Tuesday, President Aquino was still discussing with officials who would be appointed as acting PNP chief during Purisima’s suspension.

“For the rest of the six months, should any legal actions not be effective, we will have to wait for further instructions,” Valte said.

Asked what would be Purisima’s status now that he has returned to the country and Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina was the OIC until Tuesday, Valte said she wanted to get a “clarification” as well.

“Well, again, I am not quite sure if the suspension order has been served. I know it was the DILG who is supposed to do it but given that the entire DILG is also focused on relief efforts (for tropical storm Ruby), I am not quite aware of what has gone on from (last) Thursday until now,” Valte said.

Asked what advice the Palace could give Purisima, Valte said the PNP chief has “made known his intention to avail of the legal remedies that are available to him.”

“So, we will let him deal with his situation as he knows best,” Valte said.

Purisima was supposed to arrive from Saudi Arabia over the weekend, but cut short his trip, arriving on Friday.

In a statement, he said he intended to file a petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO) maintaining his innocence that he had nothing to do with the PNP’s controversial contract with Werfast Documentation Agency in 2011.

The Werfast courier service was supposed to do door-to-door delivery of firearms licenses to gun owners.

The beleaguered Purisima is also facing criticisms for allegedly owning vast tracts of land in Nueva Ecija and Batangas.

President Aquino had defended Purisima, a close friend of his, amid the allegations hurled against him.