Lawyer: Purisima was not lying to Aquino

MANILA, Philippines - Resigned Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima was not lying to President Aquino on the status of the operation to neutralize Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir on Jan. 25.

Lawyer Kristoffer James Purisima explained Purisima was suspended at the time and effectively, was not part of the PNP command line, thus the President should have been provided with vital information by ground commanders who had direct contact in the field.

“At no time would Director General Purisima violate the trust reposed upon him by the President,” said his lawyer.

“It is not in his character to relay inaccurate information to the President. Throughout their decades of professional and personal relationship, Purisima’s deportment towards the President has been one of utmost candor, honesty, loyalty and respect.”

When Purisima informed the President about the status of Operation Exodus, PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang and Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero were aware that hostile forces had engaged PNP Special Action Force (SAF) troopers.

Thus, when Purisima informed the President at 8:17 a.m. on Jan. 25 that the engaged PNP SAF troopers “are supported by mechanized and artillery support,” Purisima relied in good faith on the information given to him at 8:03 a.m. by Guerrero, which stated that there was “coordination of ground tank infantry and artillery support are made available.”

The lawyer pointed out that Guerrero’s response about the “coordination on the ground” implied more than just the availability of support.

“It refers to the coordinated efforts to use tank, infantry and artillery assets in support of our PNP SAF troopers,” he said.

He pointed out Purisima had no reason to believe or interpret otherwise, since the request for reinforcement for SAF troopers had been relayed by the former PNP chief to Guerrero by telephone as early as 6:09 a.m.

As he was in San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija on Jan. 25, Purisima could not have known that Maj. Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, the Army’s 6th Infantry Division commander, had declined the SAF’ s request for even indirect artillery fire, the lawyer said.

“However, since Purisima was already preventively suspended at that time and was not part of the PNP command line, it fell on those who were with the President on Jan. 25 to brief the Chief Executive and provide vital information as they had direct contact with the ground commanders,” the lawyer added.

“Notwithstanding his preventive suspension, Purisima believes that it is morally incumbent upon him as a police officer and as a responsible citizen of the Republic to come to the aid of his fellow PNP SAF troopers in their time of need. Purisima believes that it is his moral duty and obligation to extend to the PNP SAF whatever assistance he can provide,” the statement read.

Before the Senate hearing, Purisima owned up to responsibility and accountability over the Mamasapano incident.

“The responsibility, the accountability of Oplan Exodus rests with me because I have delegated that authority to the director of SAF. The planning and control of the operations were delegated to PNP SAF but the accountability rests with me,” Purisima told the Senate on Tuesday, referring to the police operation in Mamasapano that went haywire and resulted in the death of 44 SAF operatives.

At the conclusion of the Senate hearing, sacked SAF commander Director Getulio Napeñas said he was responsible for carrying out the mission.

However, Napeñas maintained the plan all started when Purisima gave him the intelligence packet on the target in November.

It all emanated from Purisima, he added. – With Paolo Romero, Helen Flores