PRESS STATEMENT
October 2, 2014
PRES. AQUINO SHOULD STOP CODDLING GEN. PURISIMA
President Aquino’s continued defense of his pal PNP Chief Alan
Purisima is a serious obstacle to a serious and thoroughgoing
investigation on Purisima’s unexplained wealth and other alleged acts
of corruption.
The revelations about Purisima’s millions worth of undeclared or
underreported properties, plus the controversy over the “White House
Mansion” donated by his contractor-friends, brings to light many
similar practices of PNP officials who use their positions of power to
unjustly and illegally enrich themselves at the expense of their sworn
duties.
If the President is truly serious in getting to the truth and holding
wrongdoers to account, he should immediately relieve Purisima of his
position and order him to at least take a leave of absence to allow
the proper authorities to establish the facts and pursue the
appropriate charges against the PNP chief.
But by prematurely exonerating Purisima and coming to his defense, the
President once again sends the message that Aquino loyalists are
protected at all cost from being held accountable for their
wrongdoings.
We recall the case of AFP Comptroller Gen. Carlos Garcia and his
budget officer Col. George Rabusa who were immediately relieved of
their positions when the story about Garcia’s son’s $100,000 stash in
the US broke out in the media. Both were eventually issued preventive
suspension orders and detained by the AFP.
The Purisima case can be the start of a thoroughgoing campaign to
cleanse the PNP and rid it of scalawags from top to bottom. But that
will only happen if the President himself stops coddling Purisima and
allows truth and justice to seek its course.#
Teddy Casiño 