By DANNY O. SAGUNAssociate Editor, The Pangasinan Star

LINGAYEN – The provincial police director was relieved Wednesday not for sleeping on his job but for reportedly stepping on some sensitive toes.
Gov. Victor E. Agbayani, who seemed initially dissatisfied with the performance of Sr. Supt. Alan Purisima particularly in the campaign against illegal video gambling machines and robbery, was apparently also caught unaware. He wrote the Philippine National Police for an explanation on Purisima’s sudden relief.

Radio reports said Purisima’s intensified campaign against hataw and ameneng as directed to him by Agbayani did not sit well with alleged influential gambling operators and machines owners some of whom allegedly were police officers and local officials themselves.

Provincial Administrator Virgilio Solis Thursday confirmed Purisima’s relief saying he received the information from his friends at Camp Crame. He said he immediately relayed the info to the governor.

Purisima’s relief was not a surprise news to some quarters however in view of his alleged below par performance.

It will be recalled that Agbayani issued at least two directives to the police provincial
director to step up the fight against criminality, a move generally viewed as an expression of dissatisfaction by the governor.

Vice-Gov. Oscar Lambino was himself also not impressed by Purisima’s performance in view of the series of robbery incidents in the province last year and early this year.
The local media was also critical of his performance and his non-accessibility for media interviews.

Purisima the past two months had stepped up his campaign against illegal gambling machines, pressuring his men to produce results. This reportedly angered operators but at the same time elicited full support from some local officials like Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin S. Lim who were stunned by Purisima’s relief .

Apparently, the one-strike policy of the PNP hierarchy on illegal activities within an officer’s area of jurisdiction caught up with him as it did to some of his men in the field. Urdaneta City police chief Johnny Bacbac was similarly relieved soon after the PNP anti-illegal gambling task force raided ameneng operations in the city.

It could also be that gambling operators really worked for his immediate transfer, observers said.(DOS)