Purisima, Napeñas can’t leave country

Retired Director Getulio Napeñas and retired Director General Alan Purisima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

The Sandiganbayan Fourth Division has issued a hold departure order (HDO) on dismissed Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima and retired Special Action Forces head Getulio Napeñas as they face trial for the 2015 Mamasapano massacre.

This prevents the two police officials from leaving the country “except by prior written permission duly secured from and granted by this court.”

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) was directed to submit its compliance report within 15 days of receiving the notice.

Purisima and Napeñas face one count each of usurpation of official functions and violation of Section 3(a) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for bypassing the chain of command in the ill-fated Jan. 25, 2015, operation.

Purisima allegedly took the reins of the operation, receiving updates from Napeñas and approving the date, even as he was suspended at the time pending an unrelated graft investigation for an anomalous license delivery deal.

Prosecutors said then-PNP officer in charge Deputy Director Leonardo Espina and then-Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II were effectively “eased out” of the operations.

The BI said it had received the HDO on Purisima and Napeñas, which would be immediately implemented in the country’s 10 international airports and seaports.

“We will immediately implement the order from the Sandiganbayan,” said BI spokesperson Antonette Mangrobang.