THE Office of the Ombudsman sacked resigned police chief Alan Purisima for his alleged involvement in a P100-million shady deal with a private courier service company.
In a 50-page decision cited in a statement on Tuesday, the Ombudsman dismissed Purisima from service following its investigation over the allegedly anomalous contract with WerFast Documentary Agency, Inc.
Also dismissed from service is Police Chief Supt. Raul Petrasanta, a former official of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) and now Central Luzon police director. Petrasanta is being eyed as the next PNP chief and was even endorsed to the President by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.
The officials were thus forfeited of their retirement benefits and barred from being reemployed in government.
The others dismissed from service are former FEO officials Chief Superintendent Napoleon Estilles, Senior Superintendent Allan Parreño, Senior Supt. Eduardo Acierto, Senior Supt. Melchor Reyes, Supt. Lenbell Fabia, Chief Inspector Sonia Calixto, Chief Inspector Nelson Bautista, Chief Inspector Ricardo Zapata Jr., Senior Inspector Ford Tuazon.
The Ombudsman said they are liable for the administrative charges of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and grave abuse of authority.
The Ombudsman sacked the former police officials following its investigation over the complaints filed by private citizen Glenn Gerard Ricafranca and the fact-finding investigation bureau of the Deputy Ombudsman for Military and Other Law Enforcement Office for their involvement in the shady deal for a private courier firm.
The Ombudsman in its decision said in May 2011, Werfast, in the deal for the courier delivery system for renewal of firearms and licenses, entered into a memorandum of agreement with the PNP’s Estilles without undergoing through the procurement, accreditation and qualification process.
In June 2011, Petrasanta as the technical working group chairman recommended that the courier system as the sole responsibility of Werfast.
In Nov. 2012, Retired Police Director Gil Meneses then chief of the PNP Civil Security Group ordered the creation of a Firearms and Explosives Office-Courier Services Accreditation Board with Petrasanta, Parreño, Acierto, Reyes, Fabia, Calixto, Bautista, Tuazon and Zapata as members.
Meneses in Feb. 2013 submitted to Purisima the memorandum accrediting Werfast and recommending that the delivery of license cards by courier service be mandatory.
But Meneses only issued the policy on accreditation in March 2013 and that the courier accreditation board only issued a resolution for Werfast accreditation in April 2013.
The PNP then terminated the contract with Werfast in March 2014.
The Ombudsman in the decision found that Werfast was not a registered corporation when it entered into a memorandum of agreement in May 2011.
It was only incorporated in Aug. 2011 with a measly capitalization of P65,000.
The Ombudsman also said Werfast had no track record, no machinery or manpower in the courier service, and that it paid no income taxes and withheld none for any employees.
The Ombudsman also said the Firearms and Explosives Office accreditation board accredited Werfast despite the latter’s failure to submit clearance from the PNP Directorate for Intelligence, lack of accreditation by the Department of Science and Technology, and lack of authority to operate a delivery service.
“Evidence shows not only that Purisima knew what he was doing in signing Meneses’ memorandum but that he himself exerted pressure and coercion over the subordinates on behalf of Werfast,” the Ombudsman’s decision read.
The administrative case against Meneses was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction because he has retired from government.
The Ombudsman said it is still conducting preliminary investigation over Purisima, Meneses, Petrasanta, and the other respondents for their alleged violation of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act
Besides the Werfast deal, Purisima, Petrasanta and 17 other PNP officials were suspended pending the results of the Ombudsman’s investigation of alleged sale of 1,004 AK-47 rifles to the communist New People’s Army.