Despite raps, Sandiganbayan lets ex-PNP chief Purisima fly to US

Former national police chief Alan Purisima. RAFFY LERMA/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

THE SANDIGANBAYAN has allowed dismissed former Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima to travel to the United States next month to visit his son for about three weeks.

Purisima, who has been charged with graft over an anomalous gun permits delivery deal from 2011 to 2014, was allowed by the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division to leave on Sept. 5 but he must be back by Sept. 27.

He posted a P30,000 travel bond on Friday.

Earlier, he told the court that before the graft case was filed in May, he and his family had booked tickets in March to visit his son who was studying for a culinary degree in California.

The Sandiganbayan automatically issues a hold departure order to bar accused persons from leaving the country without its permission.

The Ombudsman has charged Purisima and 17 others, including officers of the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office and of the courier firm Werfast Documentary Agency Inc., with graft over the allegedly irregular contract to deliver firearm licenses to applicants.

No track record

According to the Ombudsman, Werfast did not have a track record as a courier company or enough capital, manpower and logistics to make deliveries around the country.

Werfast reportedly turned to another courier company, LBC, to fulfill its obligation.

The PNP terminated its contract with Werfast in March 2014 due to complaints.

Purisima was apprehended at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport by police on May 19 as he was about to leave but promptly posted bail of P30,000.

The Sandiganbayan has set the pre-trial in the case on Oct. 13 to finalize the list of witnesses and evidence, and tentatively set the start of trial on Nov. 28.

Government against trip

The government’s Office of the Special Prosecutor opposed Purisima’s trip, saying there was no necessity for him to go abroad, especially since he was facing a graft suit.

But Purisima cited “Filipino family values” in asking to be allowed to see his son, a time, he said, when his family would be complete after the years he had been away from them because he was in the government service.  With a report from Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Inquirer.net