Purisima fails bid to junk perjury raps

The Sandiganbayan has denied the bid of former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima to dismiss the perjury cases against him in connection with his alleged failure to declare several properties in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs).

In an April 8 resolution, the anti-graft court’s Second Division warned Purisima that the totality of evidence presented against him by the Office of the Ombudsman was strong enough to warrant his conviction.

The Second Division denied Purisima’s motion for leave to file a demurrer to evidence, which would have allowed him to seek the dismissal of his cases halfway through the trial based solely on the supposed weak evidence of the prosecution.

The Second Division said Purisima failed to state in his motion for leave the legal grounds for asking to be allowed to file a demurrer to evidence, in violation of Section 23, Rule 119 of the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure.

“Technicality aside, the motion must still be denied, as the testimonial and documentary evidence presented by the prosecution, unless successfully rebutted by the accused, appear to be prima facie sufficient to support a finding of guilt beyond reasonable doubt,” the resolution read.

Purisima is facing eight counts of perjury before the Second Division over his alleged failure to declare in his SALNs for 2006 to 2009 and for 2011 to 2014 his and his wife Maria Ramona Lydia’s ownership of several parcels of land in Zaragosa and Palayan City in Nueva Ecija and in San Ildefonso, Ilocos Sur as well as his ownership of four firearms.