Purisima, 9 other PNP officials ousted from posts

Resigned PNP Chief Alan Purisima (foreground) (Photo courtesy of Sen. Grace Poe’s Facebook page)

MANILA – Resigned Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima was dismissed from his service as a regular cop after the Office of the Ombudsman arrived at the decision regarding the PNP’s involvement in an anomalous P100-million deal with a private company.

Aside from Purisima, nine other police officials were sacked from their posts. These were Police Chief Supt. Raul Petrasanta, Senior Supt. Eduardo Acierto, Senior Superintendent Allan Parreño, Senior Supt. Melchor Reyes, Supt. Lenbell Fabia, Chief Inspector Nelson Bautista, Chief Inspector Sonia Calixto, Chief Inspector Ricardo Zapata Jr., and Senior Inspector Ford Tuazon.

The aforementioned officials allegedly transacted with Werfast Documentary Agency, Inc., a courier service company. After the Ombudsman investigations, they were then found guilty of administrative charges of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and grave abuse of authority.

Ousted from their posts, the former PNP officials were then forfeited of retirement benefits and barred from government employment.

Werfast deal

In May 2011, Werfast entered into an agreement with the PNP for renewal of firearms and licenses. The PNP accepted the deal with the private company bypassing the necessary procurement, accreditation and qualification process.

In November 2012, the PNP Civil Security Group then initiated the formation of a Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO)-Courier Services Accreditation Board. The FEO members were Petrasanta, Acierto, Parreño, Reyes, Fabia, Bautista, Calixto, Zapata and Tuazon.

In February 2013, Werfast was then accredited and the delivery of license cards was made mandatory. The discrepancy in the process was that the company was accredited in February when such policy of accreditation was only issued in March and the resolution issued in April.

By March 2014, the PNP terminated its contract with Werfast.

Questionable accreditation

The Ombudsman was then suspicious over PNP’s accreditation of Werfast when the latter was a questionable company with low capitalization, no track record and income taxes, no PNP Directorate for Intelligence clearance, and no Department of Science and Technology (DOST) accreditation.

“Evidence shows not only that Purisima knew what he was doing in signing Meneses’ (Retired Police Director Gil Meneses) memorandum but that he himself exerted pressure and coercion over the subordinates on behalf of Werfast,” the Ombudsman’s decision stated.

Aside from the Werfast deal, Purisima remained under investigation regarding the PNP’s gun sale to the New People’s Army (NPA).