Escudero: Purisima should now resign from PNP

MANILA, Philippines — Director General Alan Purisima should also resign from the Philippine National Police (PNP) so that the President could appoint his replacement, a senator has said.

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero pointed out that Purisima remained a four-star general even after he was ordered suspended by the Office of the Ombudsman in December last year on corruption charges and even after he resigned as PNP chief in the wake of the botched Mamasapano operation.

This could be one of the reasons why until now, Escudero said, the President could not appoint a new PNP chief.

“To begin with, hindi ako sang-ayon na may usurpation of authority sa parte ni Purisima dahil hindi naman siya nagbigay ng utos bilang PNP chief,” the senator said Thursday when asked about Senate President Franklin Drilon’s statement that Purisima could be charged with usurpation of public functions when he ordered the Mamasapano operation last January 25 while he was under suspension.

(To begin with, I do not agree that there was usurpation of authority on the part of Purisima because he did not give the order as PNP chief)

“Siya’y nananatili bilang four-star general e. Sinuspinde siya bilang PNP chief pero siya’y nananatiling miyembro ng PNP at nananatiling four-star general.”

(He continues to be a four-start general. He was suspended as PNP chief but he remains a member of the PNP and a four-star general)

“Isang bagay pa nga na dapat natin tingnan dahil baka kaya hindi pa maka-appoint si Pangulong Aquino ng full-pledged na PNP chief ay dahil na kay Purisima pa yung ranggo ng four-star general. Because under the hierarchy of the PNP, isa lamang ang pwedeng magkaroon ng apat na estrella sa balikat. So, yung usurpation… hindi ko alam kung eksaktong maga-apply kung ganyan ang sitwasyon,” he further said.

(One reason why the President probably could not appoint a full-pledged PNP chief is because Purisima still holds the rank of a four-star general. Under the PNP hierarchy, only one man can hold that rank. So I don’t know if usurpation can be applied in this situation.)

Asked then if that gave Purisima the right to order the operation, the senator said it was a “gray area” because the latter’s laywers were using that argument to justify his actions.

When asked again if Purisima should also resign as a member of the police organization, Escudero said: “I think so to give the President leeway and to unburden the President.”

During the Senate hearings on the incident, relieved PNP-Special Action Force head Director Getulio Napeñas admitted that it was Purisima, who gave him a go signal to launch the Mamasapano operation that left 44 SAF men dead.

Purisima, also during the hearings, took full responsibility over the incident, the reason why he said he resigned as PNP chief.