PNP chief faces P100-M plunder rap Over gun license delivery deal

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima and Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) head Chief Superintendent Napoleon Estilles are facing a P100-million plunder charge before the Office of the Ombudsman for their alleged involvement in a supposedly questionable deal with a private courier service company.

Glenn Gerard Ricafranca of Barangay Capantawan, Legazpi City filed the case on April 16, accusing the officials of entering into an allegedly anomalous contract with Wer Fast Documentary Agency three years ago for the delivery of firearms licenses.

The complainant said he thought of buying a handgun for protection last month and so he inquired with the PNP about firearms license and registration. 

He said he learned that gun license cards are now being delivered to each licensee through Wer Fast, based on a memorandum of agreement between the PNP and the firm in May 2011.

Ricafranca, however, claims to have discovered that Wer Fast was issued a certificate of incorporation by the Securities and Exchange Commission only on Aug. 10, 2011, which he said means that it had no juridical personality to enter into the agreement.

He also said that Wer Fast is not authorized as a courier delivery service by the Department of Transportation and Communications.

Among friends

Ricafranca alleged that one of the firm’s incorporators is Mario Juan, a close friend of Purisima, while Enrique Valerio – who represented the PNP in the contract  – is a classmate and best friend of Purisima. 

He added that retired police general Ireneo Bacolod, a high-ranking official of Wer Fast, used to head the PNP Civil Security Group, the unit that has administrative supervision over the FEO. 

Ricafranca, noting that Bacolod was also Purisima’s former boss, said the FEO has been receiving complaints from applicants, particularly those involving delayed delivery or non-delivery of the licenses and non-issuance of receipts.

Other applicants allegedly complained that it took up to three months before the gun license was delivered to them and when the package is received by a gun owner, the courier name indicated is LBC and not Wer Fast.

Ricafranca said LBC charges only P90 per package while Wer Fast charges P190 per package, which shows that the difference of P100 in the delivery charge would unduly benefit Wer Fast by as much as P100 million, based on the more or less one million firearm owners in the country.

Last April 8, the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order and ordered the PNP to stop “utilizing any courier services for deliveries of approved firearms license cards.”

‘Undue favors’

Ricafranca said “it is clear that Wer Fast was getting undue favors from the PNP under the leadership of… Purisima without regard to the expenses and inconvenience it will cause to every citizen who lawfully owns or will own firearms.”

Apart from plunder, he also charged Purisima with graft, grave abuse of authority, conduct unbecoming of a government official, and violating Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.

 â€œThe fact that Wer Fast was allowed to continue and provide the needed courier services albeit several complaints and its utter incompetence, can only be attributed to the close personal relation or connection it has with Purisima,” Ricafranca said.