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Saturday, March 25, 2006
Guv, bishop want relieved police chief back
By Liway C. Manantan-Yparraguirre
LINGAYEN -- Pangasinan Governor Victor Agbayani and various anti-illegal gambling groups in the province are calling for the reinstatement of sacked Provincial Police Director Alan Purisima.
In his letter to Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, Agbayani said Purisima's unceremonious relief is "unfair" and "counterproductive."
He said, "Purisima's relief, or changing horses in midstream so to speak, would disrupt and setback our efforts to preserve peace and order in the province."
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz backs the governor's call.
"The truth is Pangasinan has been jueteng-free, therefore I find it quite unfair that a mere presence of certain videos would mean his relief," Cruz said.
"There have been a good number of video machines confiscated and destroyed in the past months and the work must be going on. It is a pity that the provincial director should be relieved. On behalf of the good people of Pangasinan, I request for the consideration of higher authorities to please reevaluate their decision to remove Purisima," he added.
Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin Lim, meanwhile, wrote to Purisima to extend his support to the embattled police official.
"I am deeply disappointed by this sudden turn of events. For all that you have done in the name of public service, your (Purisima) relief was certainly uncalled for," Lim said.
Three-strike policy
The Police Regional Office issued the relief order for Purisima last Tuesday.
He was reportedly relieved for his failure to comply with the three-strike policy on illegal gambling issued last year by National Police Chief Arturo Lomibao.
Under the policy, a police chief will be relieved from his post if the police's Anti-Illegal Gambling Special Task Force would confirm the existence of the illegal numbers game jueteng and other forms of illegal gambling in the official's area.
A three-strike would be counted against a provincial police director if the task force would be able to conduct three successful anti-gambling operations in his or her area.
The governor criticized the relief of Purisima, saying the police official had made the province jueteng-free. He said Purisima also implemented an all-out campaign against hataw and ameneng, also known as video karera.
"It is public knowledge in the province that under Purisima's command, Pangasinan has been free from jueteng. Also during his tenure, 247 slot machines locally known as hataw, ameneng, and fruit games were confiscated and destroyed," he said.
Agbayani had been very vocal against the police's practice of relieving a provincial director without his knowledge. He said that as governor, he should be informed first if there are changes to the police leadership in the province. (Sun.Star Pangasinan/Sunnex)
(March 25, 2006 issue)
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