Purisima to cooperate in SAF massacre probe

MANILA, Philippines - Suspended Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima is willing to face any investigation into the deaths of 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos while on a mission to arrest terrorists affiliated with Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).

“Police Director General Alan La Madrid Purisima will definitely attend the Senate hearing, where he will testify on what he knows about the Mamasapano operation,” Kristoffer James Purisima, lawyer of the suspended PNP chief, said yesterday.

The lawyer also belied earlier reports that Purisima left the country for Saipan last Friday to attend an event of the Free Masons, a fraternity whose local chapter he heads.

“PDG Purisima did not leave the country, contrary to media reports. In fact, he has never left the Philippines since returning on Dec. 5 from his official trip to Saudi Arabia,” the lawyer added.

Purisima was attending an official function in Saudi Arabia when the Office of the Ombudsman announced his six-month preventive suspension amid corruption charges filed against him.

Airport sources in Manila also said that Purisima remains in the country, as records show that his last departure was on Dec. 3, 2014, when he left for Bangkok aboard Thai Airlines. He arrived in Manila on Dec. 5, 2014 on Philippine Airlines.

There are also no official records of Purisima leaving the country since the new year.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) likewise told reporters through a text message, “As per BI travel records, Alan La Madrid Purisima is presently in the country.”

However, sources said Purisima was already in Guam the day before the Mason installation rites in Saipan. He was accompanied by Chief Superintendents Juanito Vaño Jr. and Dennis Peña and retired Chief Superintendent Ferdinando Sevilla.

Sources said Purisima arrived in Guam on Jan. 30 and was supposed to proceed to Saipan at 7 a.m. the following day, but he did not show up as expected.

Only Vaño, Peña and Sevilla attended the Mason event.

PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina and Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II admitted they were out of the loop during the planning and actual operations of the SAF men to arrest Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, and Basit Usman.

According to reports, relieved SAF chief Director Getulio Napeñas was directly reporting to President Aquino and Purisima.

Former senator Panfilo Lacson wants Purisima and Napeñas to “tell all” on the recent events that led to the death of 44 SAF troopers in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

Lacson yesterday told The STAR in a phone interview that, based on the principle of command responsibility, Napeñas is answerable for the incident.

However, as there are also many “unknown issues” surfacing, Lacson said Purisima should also be compelled to publicly reveal what he knows of the operation as part of the investigation.

In the event that Purisima would be barred from participating in the probe though, Napeñas’ sworn affidavit would be enough.

Lacson also questioned why the relieved SAF chief had violated the principle of unity of command being observed by the PNP.

He said that under the principle, Napeñas should have been reporting to Espina and not to Purisima – “unless there was a specific order to keep Espina and Roxas out of the loop.”

Purisima’s role in the operations has been the subject of investigation by the PNP Board of Inquiry amid reports that the “two chains of command” at the PNP may have caused a major setback in the SAF operations.

Despite the apparent lapses, Lacson believes Napeñas is the strongest witness to help shed light on the Mamasapano incident. He added that Napeñas should also “be given legislative immunity by the Senate so that he could freely talk.”

Should the Senate start a probe on the incident, Lacson said the proceedings should be made public unless there are matters related to national security.

Meanwhile, Lacson said peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) should still be pursued, but within established parameters.

“We can’t have it as ‘business as usual.’ There are reports that terrorists are staying in the area. How many terrorists are being given safe haven?” he said.

Lacson also called on the PNP to exploit the strong public support being given to the police force in the wake of Mamasapano to cleanse its image.

“This is one chance of a lifetime. The image of the PNP has been cleansed by blood. The PNP can now be living heroes, quiet heroes. The PNP should draw inspiration from this,” he said.

Probe on Purisima

Ironic as it may seem, Malacañang does not have any idea on the whereabouts of Purisima.

Sources say that while Purisima’s immediate superior is Roxas, only the Office of the President could give him the go signal to travel and leave the country.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda is leaving Purisima’s fate with the Senate, which will be conducting an investigation on the incident.

“Let us wait for different government bodies to do their investigation. I suppose Mr. Purisima will be asked about his role in the SAF operation. I don’t want to preempt what statements will be made in the Board of Inquiry,” he said.

For a week now, Purisima has mysteriously kept his silence and is nowhere to be found.

No less than President Aquino – commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) – confirmed to the public that Purisima indeed coordinated with him regarding the SAF operation, but only prior to Purisima’s suspension in December last year.

Aquino owes his life, at least in part, to Purisima, who was among his police bodyguards when renegade soldiers staged an ambush during a failed coup in August 1987.

Senate President Franklin Drilon described the actuations of Purisima over reports that he supervised the SAF operations as “totally improper.”

“Totally improper for Purisima to give instructions if that is what happened. He is suspended. He should not be doing that,” Drilon said.

Drilon was asked to react to an earlier report published in The STAR that the suspended PNP chief may be dismissed from service for “grave misconduct” if it is proven that he was calling the shots in the operation in Maguindanao.

He said he is yet to study whether the acts would warrant dismissal from service, “but certainly, Purisima was wrong in giving instructions if that is the case… I don’t think that there is any evidence to establish that he was allowed by the President (to handle the operations).”

Valenzuela Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian, meanwhile, urged Aquino to disclose his role in the SAF operation that went awry.

He said the President should also tell the public categorically whether he green-lighted the operation, noting that Aquino has so far been evasive.

The lawmaker said the President should also say who authorized the release of funds for the SAF mission, where the money came from, how much was disbursed, where it was spent and who spent it.

Gatchalian claimed he received information that the funds were from Aquino’s P500-million intelligence budget. – With Delon Porcalla, Jess Diaz, Rudy Santos, Evelyn Macairan, Christina Mendez, Mike Frialde, Edith Regalado