The Sandiganbayan has set to June 6 the pretrial of former Philippine National Police Director Alan Purisima for graft charges related to the anomalous 2011 courier delivery contract without public bidding.
Purisima, according to the charge sheet, entered into a deal with Werfort Courier Service to deliver firearms licenses of applicants. Due diligence was not carried out by the former PNP chief. It turned out Werfort does not have a track record in the courier service industry as it is not even registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Graft charges filed against our government officials are nothing new. It’s par for the course and the citizenry has, sadly, learned to accept and come to terms with official corruption.
But what the people would like to see is for the courts to make accountable Purisima all the way to Noynoy Aquino their culpability in the massacre of 44 PNP Special Action Force in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
Purisima, already suspended for other allegations of graft, was assigned by Aquino to oversee the dangerous police operation against Muslim terrorists with bomber Marwan as the prime target. The worst part of it is that the PNP operation did not have an exit plan. They were left stranded to be butchered by a combined force of MILF and BIFF in an open corn field.
And where was Noynoy Aquino? He was in nearby Zamboanga sitting pretty and waiting for Marwan’s head to be delivered. The thing delivered to him was Marwan’s index finger cut off as proof of death. Too bad the PNP survivors should have cut off Marwan’s middle finger as a fitting gift for Noynoy.
The middle finger, if you still do not get the irony of it, is to show derisive offensive sign against anyone you dislike.
According to reports from those who were with Aquino in Zamboanga, he told the military to stand down when the besieged SAF were under fire and desperately asking for reinforcement. Yet Aquino had with him the top brass of the Armed Forces of the Philippines not to mention several helicopter gunships which could have been dispatched to Mamasapano.
So Kris, please stop asking President Duterte not to prosecute your brother for crimes against the SAF 44. For Duterte not to would be a dereliction of duty as president.
Spare your Kuya and never mind justice for those heroic SAF fighters killed in the line of duty? What about their grieving relatives who are still crying for justice for their loved ones?
Spare us your pa-cute antics, please. It may land you a role in Hollywood but your acting and credibility no longer sell with the locals.
MRT woes continue
Despite new train carriages from China’s Dalian company, commuters’ woes from the Metro Rail Transit continue.
After carrying out maintenance service and safety check during the four-day Holy Week break, MRT management can’t seem to solve the daily glitches of the public transport system.
A faulty rail stopped service between the Santolan and Shaw Boulevard stations stranding thousands of passengers on their way to work.
The daily breakdown of the MRT brings us to the question as to why former Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya has not yet been charged for the anomalous deals he entered into during his watch. The MRT operation falls under the jurisdiction and supervision of the DoTC.
Earthquake forum
The Zuellig Foundation, in coordination with the National Risk Reduction Management Council, will hold a forum/seminar on surviving an earthquake at the Manila Polo Club on April 21-23.
The event is timely in the light of the series of earthquake that hit Batangas, Bohol, Surigao and other parts of Mindanao. Almost everyone living in Metro Manila are now wondering when the big one will finally hit the metropolis. With its high-rise condominium towers and office buildings, jittery residents are wary of the earthquake fault line that rings the West Valley fault starting from Bulacan along Marikina, Pasig, Pasay Mandaluyong, San Juan and Makati.
Aftershocks in Mabini, Batangas could be portents of the big one to come. I do not wish to sow fear and panic among the people but it’s always advisable to prepare for “the big one.”
It’s no longer how big, but when, is the question running through the minds of the people in Metro Manila.