Members of various anti-crime groups are hankering for the resignation of Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Dir. Gen. Alan Purisima.
“Si General Purisima ay hindi na talaga katanggap-tanggap sa mga taong dapat pinagsisilbihan niya. Nagtatago siya sa saya ng presidente. Hindi dapat ganoon,” said Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) founding chairman Dante Jimenez in a report on GMA7’s news program 24 Oras on Wednesday.
Teresita Ang-See of the Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO) shares the same sentiment.
“Kahit kami we have confidence in him but then as a gesture to show your men that you stand on principles the first thing you do is resign. Hindi lang siya, pati ‘yung iba’t-ibang station commander,” Ang-See said.
The call for Purisima to step down is a result of his refusal to talk about his men’s involvement in recent crimes, most notably the EDSA ‘hulidap’ incident where several police officers were implicated.
But the President seems to have Purisima’s back. On Friday, the President Aquino defended the PNP chief, saying Purisima should not be blamed for ‘scalawags’ in uniform.
“Tanungin ko lang po: Ngayon lang ba lumitaw ang mga scalawags (rogue cops) na ito o ngayon lang ba nagkaroon ng scalawags sa ating pong serbisyo?” Aquino said in Malacañang on Friday.
“Totoong may scalawag, pero sino po ba ang nakahuli sa mga nang-hulidap sa EDSA? Mga pulis din po,” he added.
Purisima also drew flak for his failure to attend the Senate hearing for the modernization and reorganization of the PNP.
His absence irked Senator Grace Poe, “He has gone far too long relying on his spokespersons to speak for him. I don’t see any reason why the PNP chief should be exempt from having to directly address the people,” the senator said.
