THE OFFICE of the Ombudsman has ordered the filing of a forfeiture petition before the Sandiganbayan against former Philippine National Police director Alan LM. Purisima and his family over the alleged unexplained wealth amounting to P29.29 million.
In a consolidated resolution dated July 4, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales directed that forfeiture proceedings be initiated against Mr. Purisima, his wife Ma. Ramona Lydia, sons Rainier Van Albert, Eumir Von Andrei, Alan, Jr., and Jason Arvi.
Ms. Morales also ordered the filing of nine counts of perjury “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.”
In the parallel administrative case, Mr. Purisima was found guilty of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and acquisition of unexplained wealth and was ordered dismissed from the service.
However, since Mr. Purisima was already dismissed from service due to his administrative liability over the alleged anomalous gun courier deal in 2011, his penalty is convertible to a fine equivalent to his salary for one year.
According to the Ombudsman, Mr. Purisima received salaries, allowances and other benefits in the total amount of P9,550,621.44 for 14 years from 2000 to 2014, while his wife received a gross total compensation and other income of P6,382,530.84 as an employee of the AFP Mutual Benefits Association, Inc. for the same period. Thus, their combined lawful earnings amounted to P15.93 million only.
Mr. Purisima declared business interests and financial connections with RAS Construction from 2000-2006 as partner; I@Link Computer Center from 2002 to 2006 as proprietor; Aliakbar Hauling and Trucking Services from 2008 to 2014; and EALRAJ Corporation, a family owned general merchandising corporation, from 2012 to 2014. Ombudsman investigators said that Mr. Purisima’s net worth for 2014 was P16.76 million.
“Based on the investigation and analysis made by the Ombudsman, General Purisima and his family accumulated unexplained acquisitions totaling at least P29,292,459.92. It was also found that Purisima had other properties and business investments under his name and/or that of his wife or sons, which he failed to declare in his SALN,” the Ombudsman said.
PROPERTIES
The properties, according to the Ombudsman, consisted of: 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; and personal properties consisting of firearms acquired from 2010 to 2014.
The Ombudsman also noted that Mr. Purisima “made frequent travels abroad” from 2001 to 2014, with 19 foreign trips, 12 of which were “official in nature,” while seven of his foreign trips “were financed from private funds.”
Respondent Ramona had 19 travels abroad; Rainier, 10; Eumir, four; Alan, Jr., five; and Jayson, seven, the Ombudsman said.
“[S]aid travels show that they lived a lavish lifestyle which is not commensurate with their declared earnings and financial resources,” the Ombudsman resolution read.
In its resolution, the Ombudsman observed that “respondent P/DG Purisima effected wholesale amendments of his annual income tax returns (ITRs) for calendar years 2004 to 2013. The wholesale amendment was completed on Nov. 18, 2014, or 24 days after the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issued a Certification dated Oct. 28, 2014 in compliance with the subpoena issued by the FFIB-MOLEO (Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices) during the fact-finding stage.”
However, the Ombudsman said in amending his ITRs, Mr. Purisima used a “different BIR form for business, profession, and compensation income and all of a sudden declared sales, revenues from businesses, professional income and combined net taxable income for himself and Ramona.” He also paid about P5.01 million in income tax only in November 2014.
“[A] closer scrutiny of respondent P/DG Purisima’s amended ITRs also reveals they are replete with badges of falsity and misdeclaration,” Ms. Morales said in the resolution.
“The fact that he took so long to declare these other income casts doubt as to their existence. Clearly, amending his ITRs for CYs 2004 to 2013 was a mere afterthought in response to the lifestyle check then being conducted by the FFIB MOLEO,” she added.
On Mr. Purisima’s claim that the properties registered under the name of his sons were legitimate as they were gainfully employed, the Ombudsman said that as “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.”
PERJURY CASES
For the perjury cases, the Ombudsman found probable cause to file raps against Mr. Purisima for failing to disclose three properties in Aulo, Palayan City, Nueva Ecija; residential land in San Vicente, Zaragosa, Nueva Ecija; agricultural land in San Ildefonso, Ilocos Sur; and four firearm in his SALN.
The Ombudsman also referred Purisima’s acquisition of the property located in Aulo, Palayan City to the Agriculture department as the lots are covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.
The Consolidated Resolution covers 15 complaints filed by the Fact-Finding and Investigation Bureau of OMB-MOLEO, Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, Coalition of Filipino Consumers and Jose Teddie del Rosario. — Raynan F. Javil
