THE Palace said Sunday that former Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima still has to face an investigation by Office of the Ombudsman since he resigned only as the head of the PNP and not from active service.
Purisima and sacked Special Action Force commander Chief Supt. Getulio Pascual Napeñas are set to appear in today’s Senate hearing on the Mamasapano incident in which the 44 police commandos were killed.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II and PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, who claimed they were kept in the dark about the top-secret operation to capture or kill Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, also confirmed their attendance at the inquiry.
“According to the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel, Secretary Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, Police Director General Alan Purisima’s resignation as PNP chief was accepted by President Benigno Aquino III,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said. “Considering that he remains part of the PNP, Purisima is required by law to comply with the orders of the Ombudsman,” he added. Purisima was earlier placed under preventive suspension for six months without pay over an alleged anomalous contract entered into by the PNP in 2011 with a courier service.
In his undated resignation letter, Purisima said he was stepping down as PNP chief to give Aquino “more room to act and move” to address the fallout from the Jan. 25 Mamasapano clash, which is affecting the whole nation.
“The past few days have been very difficult for me, my family and friends. I can only surmise that things may have been even more difficult for you, Mr. President,” said Purisima, who assured the public in a television interview that he will attend the Senate hearings on the Mamasapano clash.
Coloma said the President is still looking for Purisima’s replacement, and that his choice will be in keeping with his desire to strengthen the PNP.
“The PNP is now undergoing a transition phase. But the long-term goal is to ensure that the leadership of the PNP is strengthened, and that will be a major consideration in the decision-making of the President for the next PNP chief,” he said.
As this developed, Coloma said the Philippines is not in a position to ask the United States to give the $5 million bounty for the death of Jema’ah Islamiya bomb expert Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan to the families of the 44 slain police commandos.
“There is a process on the release of the reward money and it is the United States government that sets this process,” he said. “It is not within our power to advise them because they have jurisdiction over such matters.”
Senator Grace Poe, chairman of the Senate committee on public order, said Purisima commited to show up despite his resignation. In his second national address on the Mamasapano incident Friday, the President said he accepted the resignation of Purisima, who immediately broke his silence to deny he was in command of the covert operation in Mamasapano.
Purisima insisted he merely provided the “actionable information” for the operation to get Marwan and Filipino bomber Abdul Basit Usman. He also denied reports he was with the President in Zamboanga City on Jan. 25, waiting for the SAF team to present the wanted terrorists to them.
The former PNP chief, whose suspension by the Ombudsman over graft charges ends in June, said he was a guest speaker the previous day in Nueva Ecija.
But former senator Panfilo Lacson said if it can be proven that Purisima was in command of the operations, he can be liable for usurpation of office.
“At that time, he was no longer in the chain of command. He was not in an official capacity so he cannot interfere administratively or operational. If proven that he meddled in the operation, he can be charged with usurpation,” said Lacson, a former police chief. Lacson said Espina should have been in command of the operation, since he was the acting PNP chief.
Reacting to Napeñas’ admission that he followed Purisima’s orders, Lacson said the SAF chief was in a difficult situation. He said Napeñas told him he reported to Purisima since he was the one who started the intelligence information on the projects, including the recruitment of agents on the ground.
“So I told him, he should have also reported to General Espina, even in confidence. He should have told him,” Lacson said. In a separate interview, Escudero said Purisima, Napeñas and the commanders on the ground would know the level of extent of participation of the Americans.
“If they were allowed to participate in our operation, it’s not really treason, but it can be a violation of chain of command,” he said.
