By Joel Sy Egco/Manila Times
The beleaguered chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) will cause the downfall of President Benigno Aquino, if he continued to ignore the supposed public clamour to fire the country’s top cop.
The warning was made over the weekend by Dante Jimenez, chairman of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), citing “demoralisation” among PNP officers and men over controversies swirling over the head of their chief, Director General Alan Purisima.
“If Noynoy (Aquino) will not heed the people’s call to replace the chief (of the) PNP, he might go down with him,” Jimenez said.
According to him, the officers and men of the PNP are dispirited and are no longer happy with Purisima.
Jimenez attributed the resurgence of violent crimes to the sweeping demoralisation within the ranks of the PNP after its director general got embroiled in a series of controversies, including allegedly stolen riches.
“I pity the PNP as an institution. It’s demoralised because Purisima failed to lead by a clean example,” he said in an interview with Manila Times.
Jimenez noted that today, they will file another plunder complaint against the PNP chief for amassing ill-gotten wealth.
When asked to qualify his remark about the supposed demoralisation among the ranks of policemen, the VACC chief said he has been receiving a lot of phone calls and text messages from police officers who are “no longer happy” with Purisima as their boss.
“The controversies involving Purisima already affect the peace and order situation. Because of reports of his extravagant lifestyle and the exposes on questionable wealth, how can you expect honest policemen to perform their duties to the letter?” Jimenez asked.
Also yesterday, Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr said the president may summon Purisima to Malacanang to let the PNP chief explain his side on the controversies surrounding him, including his supposed ownership of a vast villa in San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija, and a huge poultry farm in Cabanatuan City, also in Nueva Ecija, that is under the name of Purisima’s son, who is only a nurse.
“What is important is that the president hears the explanation of (the PNP chief) on issues regarding the performance of his duties. Let’s give time for the meeting to happen,” Coloma said over state-run Radyo ng Bayan.
He noted that Aquino had announced that he will ask for an explanation from Purisima.
“The president wants to give him the opportunity to express his side,” Coloma said.
Aquino: tough times ahead?