Binay to Purisima: Why resign if you’re innocent?

Vice President Jejomar Binay and former Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

MANILA, Philippines—Vice President Jejomar Binay on Saturday hit former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima and his alleged reasons for resigning.

“If he did not commit any transgression as he claims to be, then why did he resign from his post?” Binay said in a statement.

Purisima has been accused of directing a PNP-Special Action Force (SAF) operation, which left 44 policemen dead in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, despite a preventive suspension order by the Ombudsman.

On Friday, President Benigno Aquino III announced that he had accepted Purisima’s resignation. He said Purisima played a “vital role” in efforts to capture the terrorists, who were the targets of the Mamasapano operation but did not answer accusations that he allowed the PNP chief to have a direct hand on the mission despite being suspended.

Binay questioned Purisima’s initial silence on the matter.

“Former PNP chief Alan Purisima made the nation wait for 12 days before he decided to speak up. And when he did, it was only to vaguely deny his participation in the planning and implementation of the police operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Jan. 25,” he said.

Binay also pointed out that Purisima’s statement opposed that of relieved SAF director Getulio Napeñas “and other sources who earlier claimed that General Purisima was heavily involved in the planning and implementation of the bloody operation.”

The Vice President said a lot of questions still remained.

He added that Purisima could only resign as PNP chief and not as a member of the police force.

“This is not allowed by law because of a pending complaint against him. One of the penalties imposed by law on government employees is the forfeiture of their benefits from the government. Thus, it should be clarified and emphasized that as long as the investigation is ongoing, General Purisima should not be allowed to claim his benefits,” he said.

Purisima was earlier suspended for his alleged involvement in an anomalous multimillion contract under the PNP. He is facing graft and plunder charges.

Binay backed efforts to create an independent body to probe the Mamasapano mission, which succeeded in killing Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir (alias Marwan) but resulted in the deaths of many.