Purisima charged with perjury over hidden wealth

Dismissed Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

Dismissed Philippine National Police director-general Alan Purisima has been charged again in the Sandiganbayan, this time for perjury over his alleged failure to disclose various possessions in his Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

Prosecutors indicted Purisima for eight counts of perjury, accusing him of “willful and deliberate assertion of falsehood” in his SALNs for the years 2006 to 2009 and 2011 to 2014.

For the 2006 and 2007 SALNs, prosecutors said Purisima omitted the property of his wife, Maria Ramona Lydia Purisima, covered by Certificate of Land Ownership CA-25916.

In 2008, the number of the wife’s undeclared properties increased to three: properties covered by CLOA VOS-28452 and a deed of donation dated May 12, 2008.

Besides the three properties under the wife’s name, prosecutors said the 2009 SALN did not include Purisima’s property covered by CLOA VOS-28012.

As for the 2011 SALN, Purisima allegedly omitted his firearms HPRFL BMSTR 223 and pistol STI 40, on top of the four aforementioned real properties.

A CZ 9MM SPO1 Shadow firearm and a HPRFL UDMC 556 firearm were added to the list of assets concealed from the 2012 and 2013 SALNs, respectively.

Finally, only the couple’s four real properties were allegedly concealed from the 2014 SALN.

The charge sheets signed by Assistant Special Prosecutor III Irenio Paldeng recommended that bail be set at a total of P48,000 for the eight criminal charges.

Purisima is being tried by the court’s Sixth Division for graft for awarding a courier service deal to Werfast Documentary Agency, Inc., for the delivery of firearms permits, despite its alleged failure to comply with government regulations and register with authorities.

He is also facing pending charges for graft and usurpation of authority before the Fourth Division in connection with the January 2015 Mamasapano incident. Prosecutors questioned former President Benigno Simeon Aquino III’s move to allow Purisima to take the reins of Oplan Exodus in apparent disregard of the latter’s suspension by the Ombudsman pending its investigation on the Werfast case.

The Mamasapano case is held in abeyance after the Supreme Court issued on Feb. 7 a temporary restraining order while it tackles the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption’s petition questioning why Purisima and Aquino were not charged with reckless imprudence and held directly liable for the deaths of 44 elite police commandos. /lb