PNP chief: Plunder case has no basis

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima yesterday said the P100-million plunder complaint filed against him and former Firearms and Explosives Office head Chief Superintendent Napoleon Estilles in connection with the delivery of gun licenses has no basis.

Purisima said the case filed by Glenn Gerard Ricafranca before the Office of the Ombudsman was only meant to discredit the police organization.

“Obviously, the case filed against us has no basis. It’s an amateurish move meant to discredit the PNP,” he said. “The PNP did not spend a single centavo for that project. How can that constitute plunder?”

Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, PNP Public Information Office director, said the PNP did not spend even a peso when it entered into an agreement with Wer Fast Documentary Agency for the delivery of firearms licenses to gun owners.

“The PNP has not released a single centavo to the courier service company. No PNP funds were used for that deal,” Sindac said.

Under the agreement, Sindac said Wer Fast would be taking the task of delivering the gun licenses to the residences of registered gun owners. The gun holders paid directly with Wer Fast, he added.

Sindac said the deal with Wer Fast was signed in 2011.

Purisima took over as PNP chief in December 2012.

“Director General Purisima has no direct or indirect involvement in the project,” Sindac said.

Ricafranca, of Barangay Capantawan, Legazpi City filed the case on April 16 for the alleged involvement of Purisima and Estilles in a supposedly questionable deal with Wer Fast for the delivery of firearms licenses.

The complainant said that Wer Fast is not authorized as a courier service firm by the Department of Transportation and Communications.