Aquino suspects overpricing in gun deal, suggests PNP chief to replace Puno

(Updated 7:40 a.m., Sept. 10) - President Benigno Aquino III is eyeing Philippine National Police chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome to replace controversial Rico Puno as undersecretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government. “I actually asked Director General Bartolome also to consider resign earlier. He will be given a different position… He might replace si Usec. Puno,” Aquino said on Sunday on the sidelines of the the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Russia. President Aquino asserted that, after researching on the Internet, he suspected that the guns the government wanted to purchase for the PNP were overpriced, a deal which Puno was supposedly “knowledgeable” about. Aquino had asked the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo to investigate why only a few bidders ended up vying for the contract for the PNP rifles. “He [Puno] is my eyes and ears. Gusto kong ma-evaluate doon kung gaano ba ka-diligent siya doon sa pagmi-meet ng mga utos,” Aquino said.  

Yet at the same briefing to Filipino reporters traveling with him to Russia, Aquino said he is considering replacing Puno with PNP chief Bartolome.

 

Bartolome was named PNP chief in September last year. He is set to retire in March next year.

 

Aquino, however, said that he wants Bartolome to turn over the police force’s top post to another official even earlier than March to give the next PNP chief the time to prepare for the May 2013 midterm elections. PNP chief 'surprised' Bartolome was surprised over reports Aquino may appoint him DILG undersecretary to replace Puno. But Bartolome declined to comment further as he said his concentration now is on preparations for the 2013 elections, radio dzBB’s Tuesday Niu reported Sunday.

 

The President however clarified that Puno, his controversial shooting buddy, has not yet resigned as Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) undersecretary.

 

Puno is presently DILG undersecretary for peace and order. The other undersecretary, Austere Panadero, is undersecretary for local government. Aquino ordered Puno to secure Robredo files

 

On Saturday evening, Aquino told reporters covering him at the APEC summit in Russia that he had ordered Puno to secure the office of then-missing Robredo, a day after his plane crashed in the sea off Masbate.

 

Previous reports indicated Robredo may have been keeping confidential files on procurement cases that could have involved Puno.

 

Aquino added that what was actually under investigation was the process of procurement of 9mm-caliber guns, and not Puno himself, asserting that a person is innocent unless proven guilty.

 

A day after the plane crash on Aug. 18 – and with Robredo still missing – Puno and several accompanying police officers tried to enter the DILG secretary’s condominium unit along Tomas Morato Avenue in Quezon City.

 

According to one of the accompanying policemen, P/Sr. Superintendent Oliver Tanseco, Puno received instructions from Aquino to place Robredo’s residence and offices under “lockdown.”

 

However, the building’s personnel refused Puno and the policemen entry beyond the building’s lobby. Puno and his party did not try to force the issue. — LBG/AC/ELR/HS, GMA News