Palace defends Purisima anew: Criminals in police force could be out to get him

MANILA, Philippines—The Aquino administration on Thursday once again came to the defense of beleaguered Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Alan Purisima, this time echoing his statement that the enemies of the reforms he had instituted could be behind the demolition job against him.

“Sa kanyang panunugkulan, hinarap ni Heneral Purisima ang maraming hamon bunga ng pagkakaroon ng mga tiwaling elemento sa pambansang polisiya, at hindi maikakaila na maaaring ito ang pinagmumulan ng matinding pagbatikos laban sa kanya,” Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said.

(In his duty, General Purisima faced the challenges caused by the presence of criminal elements in the police force, and it can’t be denied that this might be the reason for the incessant criticism against him.)

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma. Photo from pcoo.gov.ph

Coloma, however, said that there are also other sectors who have expressed support to Purisima for his fight against illegal gambling, kidnapping and criminal syndicates.

Coloma also said Purisima still has the trust and confidence of President Benigno Aquino III even after he had testified before the Senate on Tuesday.

“Wala pong pagbabago sa paninindigan ng Pangulo (There is no change in the President’s opinion),” he said when asked if Aquino still trusted Purisima.

Aquino during his trip to the United States in September said he never saw Purisima “eat too much or live luxuriously.”

Coloma, however, said that the police official is still accountable to the “bar of public opinion.”

“Like all public officials, he is accountable for all of his actions under existing laws,” he said.

Coloma confirmed that Aquino and Purisima have met before the PNP Chief appeared at the senate investigation on Tuesday.

According to him, Purisima told Aquino about the accusations that he had enriched himself while in government service.

He said the President told the Purisima to tell the truth about his properties and disclose his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN).

Malacañang believes that Purisima has answered all the accusations hurled at him during the senate inquiry despite lawmakers’ dissatisfaction on his explanation.

The police chief on Tuesday faced the Senate to talk about the police force’s modernization and rising crime rates, but was also questioned about his SALN.

He said that he had accepted an P11-million donation from his friends from the construction industry for the police chief’s official residence in Camp Crame called the “White House” in 2013.

He also claimed that he scored a huge discount from a fried to buy a Prado Toyota Land Cruiser, originally worth up to P4 million, for only P1.5 million.

During the probe, he disclosed that he earns P107,000 a month, and admitted that he owns a 4.7-hectare lot in Nueva Ecija, which he bought in 1998.

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