Purisima takes responsibility for botched Mamasapano operation
Video by Cathy Miranda and Ryan Leagogo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Resigned Philippine National Police Chief Director General Alan Purisima finally took responsibility over the botched Mamasapano operation, which he said prompted his decision to step down from his post.
President Benigno Aquino III publicly announced last Friday, Feb. 6, that he had accepted Purisima’s resignation.
“That’s why, your honor, I am held accountable for the operation that’s why I resigned your honor,” he told the ongoing hearing of the Senate committee on public order, joint with committees on peace, reconciliation and unification, and finance.
Former PNP chief Alan Purisima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA
He made the admission after he received a dressing-down from Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago for meddling in the Mamasapano operation while he was under preventive suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman. The resigned chief was ordered suspended last Dec. 4, 2014 but he admitted participating in the planning of the Mamasapano operation.
“I humbly call to your attention. In jurisprudence, you overstepped your limits , you’re on preventive suspension…” Santiago said.
Santiago said that while suspended, the resigned police officer should have not been allowed to continue his stay at “White House,” the official residence of the PNP chief in Camp Crame.
“Normally, kung under preventive suspension ka hindi ka pupunta-punta sa office mo,” she said. “Pero ikaw masyado kang busy e. Preventively suspended marami kang masyadong kinakausap at tungkol pa naman sa official and military operations.
(Normally, if you are under preventive suspension, you shouldn’t be going to your office. But you were too busy. You were preventively suspended but you kept on talking especially about official and military operations.)
“So what made you do that when you were under preventive suspension? And don’t play words with me, words are my livelihood,” the senator added.
Purisima explained that after his suspension, he delegated the command and control, but he was not able to finish his explanation as he was interrupted again by the senator.
“We know that. Answer the question. You’re under preventive suspension, and yet you’re still dipping your finger in the pie. You’re participating in none of your business at that time, your preventively suspended remember?”
Purisma again tried to explain that he only advised, and not ordered, relieved PNP-Special Action Force Director Getulio Napeñas not to inform Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II and PNP officer in charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina about the operation.
But his explanation did not also sit well with Santiago.
“’I only advise, I don’t order.’ Really? Buti sana kung wala akong doctorate or di ako nag graduate sa UP (tell that to me if I didn’t hold a doctorate degree or graduated from UP)…” she said.
“Bakit ka salita ng salita, hindi ka nananahimik sa estate mo sa Nueva Ecija. Under preventive suspension ka nakikialam ka …Biruin 44 na tao ang namatay at kasali ka don. Kung di ka siguro nakisali baka buhay pa sila,” the senator further said.
(Why did you keep talking instead of just relaxing in your estate in Nueva Ecija. You were under preventive suspension, but you kept meddling. Think about it, 44 men died and you were involved in that. Had you not meddled, they could still have been alive.)
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