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Ombudsman dismisses Purisima, 10 others over ‘anomalous’ PNP contract
By TRISHA MACAS, GMA News
(Updated 5:50 p.m.) The Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima and 10 other PNP officials for entering into an anomalous contract with courier service Werfast Documentary Agency (Werfast) in 2011.
In a 50-page consolidated decision, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales found substantial evidence to hold Purisima liable for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and grave abuse of authority.
"Evidence shows not only that Purisima knew what he was doing in signing the (Police Director Gil) Meneses Memorandum but that he himself exerted pressure and coercion over his subordinates on behalf of Werfast," the Consolidated Decision stated.
Aside from dismissal from the service, other penalties include forfeiture of retirement benefits, cancellation of eligibility, bar from taking civil service examinations, and perpetual disqualification from reemployment in government service.
Other officials who are also facing the same fate are:
PNP Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) P/CSupt. Raul Petrasanta
P/CSupt. Napoleon Estilles
P/SSupt. Allan Parreño
P/SSupt. Eduardo Acierto
P/SSupt. Melchor Reyes
P/Supt. Lenbell Fabia
P/CInsp. Sonia Calixto
P/CInsp. Nelson Bautista
P/CInsp. Ricardo Zapata Jr.
P/SInsp. Ford Tuazon
The case stemmed from two separate complaints filed in 2014 by private citizen Glenn Gerard Ricafranca and the Fact Finding Investigation Bureau of the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices (FFIBMOLEO) regarding the engagement and accreditation of Werfast as the provider of courier services for renewed firearms licenses.
In December 2014, the Ombudsman ordered the preventive suspension of Purisima because of the same complaint.
Meanwhile, the administrative case against Meneses was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, as he was already retired from government service before the case was filed.
A close buddy of President Benigno Aquino III, Purisima resigned as PNP chief in February at the height of the issue on the Mamasapano clash, where 44 elite police commandos were killed in an operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
Purisima was accused of having a hand in the planning of the ill-fated police operation despite serving a suspension order at that time.
In Malacañang, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the Palace will wait for an official copy of the Ombudsman’s order on Purisima’s dismissal “to be able to properly address this matter.”
Timeline of events
According to the Ombudsman, Werfast proposed an online computerized renewal system and courier delivery service for the renewal of firearms licenses to the PNP in May 2011.
The PNP then entered into a memorandum of agreement with Werfast through Estilles even without any procurement, accreditation and qualification process.
Petrasanta, as the Technical Working Group (TWG) chairman, then recommended in June 2011 that the courier system be the sole responsibility of Werfast.
The PNP Legal Service issued legal opinions in July and August 2011 stating that the MOA should be treated either as an unsolicited proposal or a request for accreditation. It said that the engagement of a courier service should not be mandatory but optional, the service provider should not be exclusively Werfast, a set of accreditation rules should be formulated, and an accreditation board should be created.
Nonetheless, the MOA was notarized in September 2011.
In November 2012, Meneses, former chief of the PNP Civil Security Group (PNPCSG), ordered the creation of an FEO Courier Services Accreditation Board (FEO CSAB) composed of Petrasanta, Parreño, Acierto, Reyes, Fabia, Calixto, Bautista, Tuazon, and Zapata.
He submitted a memorandum to Purisima in February 2013 recommending that the delivery of license cards by courier service be made mandatory and declaring that Werfast has been accredited after complying with the documentary requirements under the FEO Policy on Accreditation.
But it was only in March 2013 that Meneses issued the Policy on Accreditation and it was only in April 2013 that the FEO CSAB issued a Resolution accrediting Werfast. PNP terminated the contract with Werfast in March 2014.
The Consolidated Decision stated that FEO CSAB disregarded the criteria and forthwith accredited Werfast despite its nonsubmission of clearance from the PNP Directorate for Intelligence, lack of authority to operate a delivery service, and lack of accreditation by the Department of Science and Technology as it was not qualified for failing to meet the required capitalization of P500,000.00 to operate in two or more regions in the country.
Werfast also had no track record in the courier service business or any other business. It is not listed as a subsidiary or local partner of Philippine Remittance Service, Ltd. (Philrem) as it even noted that Werfast turned to LBC, and not to Philrem, in fulfilling its obligations. It paid no income taxes and withheld none from any employees. Finally, Werfast had no machinery, manpower, and logistic capability. —with Andreo Calonzo/KBK, GMA News
In a 50-page consolidated decision, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales found substantial evidence to hold Purisima liable for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and grave abuse of authority.
"Evidence shows not only that Purisima knew what he was doing in signing the (Police Director Gil) Meneses Memorandum but that he himself exerted pressure and coercion over his subordinates on behalf of Werfast," the Consolidated Decision stated.
Aside from dismissal from the service, other penalties include forfeiture of retirement benefits, cancellation of eligibility, bar from taking civil service examinations, and perpetual disqualification from reemployment in government service.
Other officials who are also facing the same fate are:
PNP Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) P/CSupt. Raul Petrasanta
P/CSupt. Napoleon Estilles
P/SSupt. Allan Parreño
P/SSupt. Eduardo Acierto
P/SSupt. Melchor Reyes
P/Supt. Lenbell Fabia
P/CInsp. Sonia Calixto
P/CInsp. Nelson Bautista
P/CInsp. Ricardo Zapata Jr.
P/SInsp. Ford Tuazon
The case stemmed from two separate complaints filed in 2014 by private citizen Glenn Gerard Ricafranca and the Fact Finding Investigation Bureau of the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices (FFIBMOLEO) regarding the engagement and accreditation of Werfast as the provider of courier services for renewed firearms licenses.
In December 2014, the Ombudsman ordered the preventive suspension of Purisima because of the same complaint.
Meanwhile, the administrative case against Meneses was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, as he was already retired from government service before the case was filed.
A close buddy of President Benigno Aquino III, Purisima resigned as PNP chief in February at the height of the issue on the Mamasapano clash, where 44 elite police commandos were killed in an operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
Purisima was accused of having a hand in the planning of the ill-fated police operation despite serving a suspension order at that time.
In Malacañang, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the Palace will wait for an official copy of the Ombudsman’s order on Purisima’s dismissal “to be able to properly address this matter.”
Timeline of events
According to the Ombudsman, Werfast proposed an online computerized renewal system and courier delivery service for the renewal of firearms licenses to the PNP in May 2011.
The PNP then entered into a memorandum of agreement with Werfast through Estilles even without any procurement, accreditation and qualification process.
Petrasanta, as the Technical Working Group (TWG) chairman, then recommended in June 2011 that the courier system be the sole responsibility of Werfast.
The PNP Legal Service issued legal opinions in July and August 2011 stating that the MOA should be treated either as an unsolicited proposal or a request for accreditation. It said that the engagement of a courier service should not be mandatory but optional, the service provider should not be exclusively Werfast, a set of accreditation rules should be formulated, and an accreditation board should be created.
Nonetheless, the MOA was notarized in September 2011.
In November 2012, Meneses, former chief of the PNP Civil Security Group (PNPCSG), ordered the creation of an FEO Courier Services Accreditation Board (FEO CSAB) composed of Petrasanta, Parreño, Acierto, Reyes, Fabia, Calixto, Bautista, Tuazon, and Zapata.
He submitted a memorandum to Purisima in February 2013 recommending that the delivery of license cards by courier service be made mandatory and declaring that Werfast has been accredited after complying with the documentary requirements under the FEO Policy on Accreditation.
But it was only in March 2013 that Meneses issued the Policy on Accreditation and it was only in April 2013 that the FEO CSAB issued a Resolution accrediting Werfast. PNP terminated the contract with Werfast in March 2014.
The Consolidated Decision stated that FEO CSAB disregarded the criteria and forthwith accredited Werfast despite its nonsubmission of clearance from the PNP Directorate for Intelligence, lack of authority to operate a delivery service, and lack of accreditation by the Department of Science and Technology as it was not qualified for failing to meet the required capitalization of P500,000.00 to operate in two or more regions in the country.
Werfast also had no track record in the courier service business or any other business. It is not listed as a subsidiary or local partner of Philippine Remittance Service, Ltd. (Philrem) as it even noted that Werfast turned to LBC, and not to Philrem, in fulfilling its obligations. It paid no income taxes and withheld none from any employees. Finally, Werfast had no machinery, manpower, and logistic capability. —with Andreo Calonzo/KBK, GMA News
Tags: alanpurisima
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