Ombudsman forms probe body on Purisima case

MANILA, Philippines - Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales has ordered the creation of a special panel that would investigate complaints against Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima and other top PNP officials in connection with the alleged anomalous gun license delivery deal with a private company in 2011.

The Fact-Finding Investigation Bureau of the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices charged Purisima with gross negligence and gross neglect of duty.

The fact-finding body, meanwhile, filed charges of grave misconduct and serious dishonesty against Director Gil Meneses, former chief of the Civil Security Group, along with former officials of the Firearms Explosive Office -- Chief Superintendents Raul Petrasanta and Napoleon Estilles, Senior Superintendents Allan Parreno,  Eduardo Acierto, and Melchor Reyes, Superintendent Lenbell Fabia, Chief inspectors Sonia Calixto, Nelson Bautista, Ricardo Zapata and Senior Inspector Ford Tuazon.

Aside from the police officials,  WERFAST Documentary Agency representatives Mario Juan, Salud Bautista, Enrique Valerio, Ireno Bacolod, Lorna Perena, Juliana Pasia and Marilyn Chua face a separate graft charges.

The five-lawyer special panel shall also hear another case separately filed by complainant Glenn Gerard Ricafranca against Purisima, Estilles and WERFAST officials for plunder and graft charges.

The Ombudsman probe stemmed from an anonymous complaint alleging that Purisima and other PNP officials siphoned funds from the mandatory delivery fees paid by gun owners in securing their gun licenses, with the PNP entering into a memorandum of agreement with WERFAST for courier services in the delivery of firearms license cards. 

The agreement was a result of "Oplan Katok" aimed at creating a more effective system of monitoring legitimate gun owners.

Records showed that Meneses approved the accreditation of WERFAST before the company had undergone any accreditation from the FEO Accreditation Committee.

Despite this, Purisima approved the memorandum issued by Meneses recommending the implementation of the delivery of approved firearms license cards to the accredited courier service provider.

On Apr. 1 2013, FEO issued a resolution, accrediting WERFAST.

Fact-finding investigations disclosed that WERFAST was incorporated after the execution of the agreement, with a capitalization of only P65,000.

The company failed to meet the requirements for accreditation such as the submission of a clearance from the PNP Directorate for Intelligence, the records added.

Records from the Bureau of Internal Revenue also revealed that WERFAST did not pay any taxes from 2011 to 2013.