Purisima pushes protégé for PNP chief

MANILA, Philippines - Director General Alan Purisima may have resigned as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), but he reportedly remains the de facto head of the 150,000-strong force.

President Aquino, according to sources, still listens to Purisima, even on matters regarding the next chief PNP.

Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina has taken over Purisima’s post as officer-in-charge (OIC) after the Office of the Ombudsman ordered Purisima’s six-month preventive suspension in connection with the supposed anomalous contract the PNP entered into with a courier service in 2011.

The sources said Purisima’s continued influence was among the hot topics at the alumni homecoming of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) ting as the de facto PNP chief and has even recommended to President Aquino a protégé as the new PNP chief,” a source said.

He was referring to positions taken by different PMA classes on Purisima’s case during their annual gathering at Fort Del Pilar in Baguio City over the weekend.

The source said Purisima is reportedly pushing for the designation of his protégé, police Director Juanito Vaño, currently Deputy Chief for Logistics, as new PNP chief to ensure that his interests will be protected, especially with the cases he is facing.

Once Purisima’s protégé is installed, the current police officials have no option left but to resign from their respective posts, one of them said.

“If that is the case and out of respect to the President, then we have to resign en masse,” a senior police officer said.

The suspended Purisima had supervised the anti-terrorist operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao that resulted in the killing of Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan.

The operation, however, resulted in the death of 44 PNP Special Action Force (SAF) commandos after they encountered members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the splinter Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

Purisima and relieved SAF commander Director Getulio Napeñas had even briefed President Aquino before the Mamasapano operation that was kept from PNP OIC Espina and Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II.