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Alan LM Purisima's Play on Words Revisited

It's possible that the mind of Alan LM Purisima would replay events that led to the SAF-44 hearing that followed. It's January 25, 2025, meaning that would be 10 years since the Mamasapano Massacre happened. It was during that time when Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan was eventually killed. However, serious disarray and a lack of coordination led to the deaths of 44 people. Watching those videos reminded me of my feisty high school economics teacher. I've been scolded by her many times but I don't hold a grudge. Honestly, I still have a debt of gratitude to my teacher who I always called "Madame Miriam". Yes, she was like the late Miriam Defensor-Santiago in some way! I had grown to respect my MDS style teacher even more after seeing the SAF-44 trial. 

Can you give advice when you're preventively suspended?

Should I be laughing or cringing at Purisima's words? I may be no lawyer, but I don't need a legal law dictionary to understand that Purisima was trying to escape responsibility, ahem, accountability. Either way, it was a circus of words between MDS and Purisima. 

"During my preventive suspension, I did not give any order. I just [gave] advice, not as a directive or order," Purisima told the Senate committee on public order, which was investigating the incident. "I have no role in that operation."

However, former PNP-SAF head Director Getulio Napeñas Jr. said that he received from Purisima a text message on Jan. 19 on whether the operation to arrest Marwan should proceed.

Facts need to be considered, such as Purisima being on preventive suspension. In school, a suspended student is temporarily out of school. A suspended teacher is temporarily not teaching. Neither the student nor the teacher is expelled from the school. Suspended students couldn't take exams or participate in classes. Suspended teachers couldn't teach and get a salary. In the workplace, suspension means that a person is unauthorized for their duties. 

In short, Purisima was unauthorized to do anything, whether to give advice or an order. In MDS' famous words, it goes like:

"Don't quibble with me... 'I only advised, I did not order.' Really? Buti sana kung wala akong doctorate o hindi ako nag-graduate sa UP. Malas natin I did both," Santiago said.

For non-Tagalog speakers, MDS said, "It would be good if I didn't have a doctorate or graduated from the University of the Philippines. In bad luck, I did both." It may be partly an appeal to authority fallacy. However, it can be much worse when the person giving a stinging rebuke has more credentials than the one who caught his fallacy.  

Purisima giving advice during his preventive suspension was a clear violation. He should've just stayed put because, as MDS states, he was under preventive suspension. To get things clear, the Merriam Webster Dictionary states advice as:

1

: recommendation regarding a decision or course of conduct : counsel

… shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties …

—U.S. Constitution

offering medical advice

a word of advice

2

: information or notice given —usually used in plural

… the latest advices from Mexico …

—Henry David Thoreau

3

: an official notice concerning a business transaction

payment advices

Purisima giving advice (well not an order, according to him) during his preventive suspension is still an act of usurpation. He should not recommend or counsel, as he was preventively suspended. A teacher who's preventively suspended couldn't advice anyone. How much more a police chief who was preventively suspended? I cringed listening to his logic that he "merely gave advice" all before he finally resigned from his post.

Can you truly delegate responsibility without delegating accountability

Even more cringy was when Purisima said, "When I delegated the responsibility, I did not delegate the accountability." There are differences which are:

Responsibility is task-focused. It relates to a person's role in completing a certain task. Accountability is results-focused. It relates to how a person reacts or owns the results of their task.

Purisima claims that he simply delegated the task at hand, but not the results. However. MDS wasn't impressed and said, "You should really hear yourself talk!" However, the legal law dictionary gives this term, which further hits on Purisima's logic:

When one party must report its activities and take responsibility for them. It is done to keep them honest and responsible.

In short, what Purisima said doesn't work well with a seasoned lawyer, like MDS. True, responsibility is focused on the task at hand. It's my responsibility to do the laundry. However, I must also be accountable for the laundry's results. He delegated the tasks and the results were disastrous. In short, the outcome comes with the task. 

Either way, when the task is given, the outcome must also come. Every responsibility means accountability follows. When one fails to do their responsibility, one must take accountability for failing to do it. In short, Purisima's logic truly deserved a beating!

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