Palace: Purisima must be lauded for transparency

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang defended anew Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima on questions about his unexplained wealth, pointing out the top cop should be credited for opening himself up to public scrutiny.

“I think you should hand it to General Purisima that he attended the Senate investigation and he responded to it,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda told a news briefing yesterday.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. added Purisima should deserve special mention for being open and transparent in answering the questions regarding his properties as reflected in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

“Purisima is playing his role as a public official accountable for all his actions,” he added.

Coloma noted Purisima went on to invite members of the media to see for themselves his so-called mansion in Nueva Ecija.

Lacierda, for his part, said Malacañang is leaving Purisima’s fate to the ombudsman and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

“Insofar as General Purisima is concerned, there is already the lifestyle check directives being finalized and I understand (BIR) Commissioner Kim Henares spoke and also there is a complaint filed before the ombudsman,” Lacierda explained.

“All these allegations will be responded to in the proper forum,” Lacierda added. “In any event, he is undergoing the lifestyle check and he is going to respond to the allegations.”

Lacierda said Purisima is willing to face his accusers and answer the complaint filed before the ombudsman.

“We will leave it at that. He is prepared to respond to the allegations and so let’s wait for his response to all these in the ombudsman or in the lifestyle check. I think we should not prejudge him,” Lacierda suggested.

Coloma, for his part, believes that criminal syndicates whom Purisima got entangled with were behind the moves to oust him as PNP chief. He said Purisima has been effective in solving crimes and law enforcement.

The anti-crime watchdog Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) filed a supplemental complaint yesterday, asking the Office of the Ombudsman to issue a preventive suspension order against Purisima.

Dante Jimenez, founding chairman of the group which filed plunder, graft and indirect bribery cases against Purisima, said the top police official should not be allowed to continue wielding his powers while being probed for alleged unexplained and ill-gotten wealth.

“With the power and influence as PNP chief he wields and at his disposal, the policemen and arms under his control and supervision, we believe that witnesses would be influenced, intimidated and afraid to come out and tell the truth, and also evidence would be concealed and destroyed,” the VACC’s supplemental charge sheet stated.

The VACC said the trip given to media to show his “ordinary” house in San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija was done with police vehicles and many police officers escorting the media.

Jimenez asked Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales to issue a preventive suspension order to ensure the safety of complainants, the media and witnesses who exposed the allegedly questionable properties of Purisima.

The VACC also asked the ombudsman to investigate new evidence of alleged irregularities that have been uncovered against Purisima that included his other undervalued and undeclared properties and vehicles like a Toyota Land Cruiser, a condominium unit in Cubao, Quezon City, and lot and houses in San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija.

They said Purisima failed to declare in his SALN the 200-hectare property in Palayan City, also in Nueva Ecija.

The VACC also asked that the contractors who supposedly donated construction materials to build the PNP chief’s official residence in Camp Crame be investigated for corruption of public officials.

Jimenez said Carlos Gonzales of Ultican Builders, lawyer Alexander Lopez of Pacific Concrete Corp. and Christopher Pastrana of CAAP Industries should be held liable.

The VACC filed plunder, graft and indirect bribery charges against Purisima last Sept. 29, accusing him of hiding the real value of his house in San Leonardo.

The group also accused Purisima of being the real owner of a modern poultry farm in Cabanatuan City supposedly worth P90 million registered in the name of his 21-year-old son Rainier Von.

Ombudsman investigators are already conducting a lifestyle check on Purisima, who has denied all the accusations. – With Michael Punongbayan