AMID mounting criticism over his role in the Mamasapano debacle and a court rejection of his appeal against his suspension, relieved Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima has been quietly packing his personal belongings at the PNP’s White House in Camp Crame.
“He is moving his personal things slowly,” a PNP official, who asked not to be identified, answered when asked if Purisima is still residing at the official residence of PNP chiefs inside its sprawling complex in Quezon City.
The official said Purisima started clearing out his stuff on Saturday, the day after President Benigno Aquino III accepted his resignation as PNP chief, when boxes were loaded onto closed civilian vans at the White House compound.
But the official did not say when they expect Purisima to finish or even if acting PNP chief Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina would use the residence as had been the practice with previous PNP chiefs.
Purisima started packing amid growing criticism of his actions during the Mamasapano operation when he supposedly served as a “consultant” of Aquino and “advised,” not ordered, a two-star general about the police raid to capture international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir last January 25.
The raid resulted in the death of 44 police commandos but Purisima denied running the operation, although he admitted telling relieved Special Action Force commander, Director Getulio Napeñas not to inform his superiors for “operational safety.”
Although Napeñas took responsibility for the operations, the sacked SAF chief said Purisima, who is under a six-month suspension over corruption charges, brought him and PNP Intelligence Group director Senior Superintendent Fernando Mendez to Malacañang three times to “update” Aquino on developments.
Napeñas also revealed during the Senate hearing that he communicated with Purisima about the operations through text messages.
Aside from his troubles at the Senate, the Court of Appeals also denied last Thursday Purisima’s plea for an injunction against the suspension order that Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales issued last December for an allegedly anomalous PNP contract with a courier delivery company in 2011.
The Palace said Purisima will continue to serve out his suspension by the Ombudsman although he will remain a member of the police until his retirement in November.
But PNP officials said current rules prohibit him from resigning from the PNP or getting his retirement benefits until his pending case is settled.
