Who will be in charge of PNP during Purisima suspension?

By: Julliane Love De Jesus - 10 years ago

The Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame: Who will be leading the PNP with the suspension of Director General Alan Purisima? Inquirer file photo

MANILA, Philippines鈥揘ow that Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Alan Purisima is suspended, who takes over his responsibility as the top PNP official?

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the PNP leadership have yet to decide who will replace Purisima after the Ombudsman had ordered a six-month preventive suspension against the beleaguered PNP chief.

But Senior Superintendent Robert Po, deputy PNP spokesperson, said in a briefing Friday that based on law, the聽second in 鈥巖ank, Deputy Director General Felipe Rojas, will take the post Purisima will be temporarily vacating.

Rojas, however, will retire on Dec. 8, Monday鈥搕he day Purisima is expected to return to the country from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) on official travel. The conference in KSA was supposed to end on Tuesday, Dec. 9, but a police official who requested anonymity said that Purisima might cut short his business trip.

鈥淚t just so happened that Rojas is retiring. If you follow the chain of command, Espina will take over as deputy chief for administration. Garbo will occupy the position vacated by Espina,鈥� Po said.

Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, deputy chief for operation, is third in rank. He will retire in July 2015.

Garbo is Deputy Director General Marcelo Garbo, chief of the directorial staff.

鈥淚t鈥檚 usually the next in command who is the designated officer-in-charge. By operation of law, usually the OIC is second in command,鈥� he said.

鈥淭here is an OIC designated. It鈥檚 Rojas until Sunday.鈥�

He also made clear that the person replacing Purisima will only hold the OIC title, not the acting PNP chief.

鈥淎cting PNP chief can reassign, assign and relieve officers. The OIC cannot even discipline as commander,鈥� he explained.

Po said that the OIC鈥檚 duty is to continue the PNP chief 鈥榮 work minus his power to appoint, designate and reassign police officers.

But Po said Purisima can鈥檛 leave his post until he returns to the Philippines. 鈥嶵he DILG, of which the PNP is an attached agency, has five days to implement the suspension.

鈥淚f the order is for the chief PNP and the chief PNP is not yet here, it can鈥檛 be served. We will have to wait for him,鈥� he added.

On Thursday, the PNP vowed to exhaust all 鈥渓egal and necessary鈥濃€� legal remedies in response to the preventive suspension.

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