Power play in the PNP?

MANILA, Philippines - There is reportedly a power play in the Philippine National Police, one designed to force PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima to leave the service ahead of his mandatory retirement in November 2015.

A statement sent to The STAR cited the recent controversies that hounded the police force as evidence of the power play, but two PNP officials denied the existence of a power struggle.

“There is no truth to that,” PNP public information office head Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac said.

Senior Superintendent Wilben Mayor, the PNP chief’s spokesman, also denied the report.

The PNP has come under fire for the removal of fugitive Delfin Lee from its wanted list before Lee’s arrest earlier this month. Lee was wanted for estafa involving P6.6 billion in housing loans. 

Senior Superintendent Conrad Capa, who led the team that arrested Lee, has openly expressed his dissatisfaction with Purisima’s move to give him a promotion – which transferred him to Cebu – days after Lee’s arrest. He has since accepted the promotion and aired his desire to reconcile with Purisima.

This was followed by another controversy, this one involving a firm that won a contract to deliver firearms licenses issued by the PNP’s Firearms and Explosives Office. The firm was criticized for reportedly failing to deliver the licenses and charging higher fees compared to other courier service firms.

The release stated that the controversies “have surely reached President Aquino, who may soon retire Purisima earlier than his official retirement date.”

Purisima is reportedly eyeing his three classmates in the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1981 as his possible replacement, “and nobody else,” according to the statement. They are Deputy Directors General Felipe Rojas Jr., Leonardo Espina, and Marcelo Garbo.

Rojas is the second highest official in the PNP as deputy chief for administration while Espina is the third, being the deputy chief for operations. Garbo is the fourth in command as chief of directorial staff.

Rojas is scheduled to retire in December this year, Espina in July 2015 and Garbo in March 2016.  – Cecille Suerte Felipe, Non Alquitran