PNP chief grilled over wealth, executive house

MANILA, Philippines - The Senate committee on public order on Tuesday grilled Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima about his wealth and the construction of his official residence inside Camp Crame.

During the televised Senate hearing, Sen. Grace Poe quizzed Purisima about his 4.7-hectare mansion in San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija, the subject of a plunder complaint filed against him.

In his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), Purisima placed the value of the property at just P3.7 million. The PNP chief explained that the house is valued at more than P1 million, which later grew to P3.7 million due to construction costs.

Purisima said he bought the land at P150,000 in 1998 and had paid everything for the property with his salary as police officer.

"Paunti-unti po, your honor, ang pag-construct po niyan... 'Yung mga savings din po na meron kami, 'yun ang ginagastos po namin," Purisima told Poe, the Senate committee chair.

Purisima revealed that his salary is now at P107,000 every month before taxes. His wife, meanwhile, earns much lower in an insurance company of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The PNP chief is facing plunder and graft complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly misdeclaring the true value of his mansion and a poultry farm also in Nueva Ecija.

Poe advised Purisima to have his properties reassessed to address the accusations hurled against him.

The senator also questioned Purisima on a sports utility vehicle he bought in 2013 for only P1.5 million. Poe said the car should cost P6 million to 7 million.

Purisima said he bought the vehicle in San Fernando, Pampanga and claimed that he was given a huge discount by the dealer.

"Alam n'yo po, ang diskwentong ganyang kalaki ay pag-aralang mabuti... Isipin ninyo bakit kaya binibigay sa akin nang napakamurang halaga nito?" Poe told Purisima.

PNP White House

Purisima is also facing indirect bribery complaints over the construction of the controversial P11.4-million White House, his official residence in Camp Crame.

Earlier, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas identified private individuals who donated funds for the construction of the building.

Sen. Serge Osmeña criticized Purisima for not asking the donors to prioritize instead the improvement of the PNP General Hospital.

Purisima claimed that the donors were focused on the construction of the executive house because the area was then experiencing flooding.

"Napakabait nila. They're worried about the house of the PNP chief and not the health of the members of the PNP. Kaya walang medyo credibility ang rason mo," Osmeña told Purisima.