MANILA, Philippines – Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales on Thursday, July 6, ordered a forfeiture case filed against former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima for allegedly amassing P29.2 million in ill-gotten wealth during his time in office.

In a resolution, Morales also ordered forfeiture cases filed before the ant-graft court Sandiganbayan against Purisima’s wife, Ma Ramona Lydia Purisima, and their sons Rainier Van Albert, Eumir Von Andrei, Alan Jr, and Jason Arvi.

According to state investigators, Purisima only received P9.5 million worth of salaries, allowances, and benefits when he served the PNP from 2000 to 2014. Purisima’s wife Maria Ramona, earned P6.3 milliion as an employee of the AFP Mutual Benefits Association during the same period.

On top of the Purisima couple’s combined salaries are their earnings from declared business interests, which would put their combined net worth at P16.7 million in 2014.

According to the Ombudsman, there was an excess P29 million worth of unexplained acquisitions:

• Real properties in Aulo, Palayan City
• Residential land in Zaragosa, Nueva Ecija
• 11 parcels of land in Talisay, Batangas
• Land in San Ildefonso, Ilocos Sur
• Personal properties consisting of firearms acquired from 2010 to 2014 

Morales said the property in Palayan City are lots covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program ((CARP). Morales said her office referred the issue to the concerned government agency.

Lavish lifestyle

Morales also took note that from 2001 to 2014, Purisima went on 19 foreign trips, 7 of which were not funded by the PNP. His wife had 19 travels abroad while his sons also went on several trips: Ranier, 10; Eumir, 4; Alan Jr, 5; and Jayson had 7.

“Said travels show that they lived a lavish lifestyle which is not commensurate with their declared earnings and financial resources,” Morales said. 

The Ombudsman said Purisima paid an income tax of P5 million only in November 2014, which Morales said was suspect. Morales also said that Purisima revised his Income Tax Returns (ITRs) from 2004 and 2013 as an apparent response to the Ombudsman’s lifestyle check on him.

“A closer scrutiny of respondent P/DG Purisima’s amended ITRs also reveals they are replete with badges of falsity and misdeclaration. The reported income from businesses is not supported by financial statements and taxes withheld and remitted by withholding agents,” Morales said.

The Ombudsman set aside Purisima’s explanation that properties registered under his sons were sourced from their respective incomes.

“There is no sufficient proof that reasonably supports the financial or earning capacity of P/DG Purisima’s children, the inevitable conclusion is that their acquisitions and investments were made possible through the funds of P/DG Purisima himself who failed to account for the sources of these,” Morales said.

Purisima faced controversies in 2014 over the so-called “White House” or his official residence inside Camp Crame, earlier reported to have cost P25 million to refurbish. The PNP later said it only cost P12 million which were all donations from Purisima’s mason friends.

Morales also ordered the filing of 9 counts of perjury against Purisima “for willfully and deliberately failing to disclose all of his properties in his Statement of Assets Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) for 2006 to 2014.”

Purisima faces other corruption cases before the Sandiganbayan; graft for the anomalous Werfast courier deal that got him dismissed during the Aquino administration, and graft and usurpation of public functions for his participation in the botched Mamasapano operation that led to the death of 44 elite cops.

Purisima, a close friend of former president Benigno Aquino III, was tasked by Aquino to take a primary role in the Mamasapano operation even while he was under suspension. – Rappler.com