MANILA - Former national police chief Alan Purisima is seeking permission from the Sandiganbayan 2nd Division for his intended travel to the United States of America to visit his family and attend a meeting of his fraternal organization.

In his motion for leave to travel abroad, filed by his lawyers from Gerodias Suchianco Estrella law office, Purisima said he wants to travel to Biloxi, Mississippi, to attend the “2018 National Book of the Play and Annual Meeting of the Royal Order of Jesters.”

Purisima noted in his motion that the Philippine chapter of the organization was only established last year.

“Accused Alan was elected by the Manila Court No. 198 (Manila Court), which was established in November 2017, as the country’s representative to the 2018 Annual Meeting of the Royal Order of Jesters. This is the first instance that a member of the Manila Court will attend an annual meeting of the Royal Order of Jesters,” Purisima’s lawyers said.

The Royal Order of Jesters is described as a “by-invitation only male fraternal organization, allowing only Shriners in good standing to join.”

If allowed by the court, Purisima intends to travel to Mississippi via California to spend time with his family.

“His flight from and to the Philippines shall be via San Francisco, California, United States of America, where he would also visit his family,” Purisima’s lawyers said.

Purisima also told the court that he has already filed similar travel motions before the other divisions of the Sandiganbayan, which have already been granted.

Purisima is facing facing a perjury case at the 2nd Division for failure to declare various properties and firearms in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth for the years 2006 to 2009 and 2011 to 2014.

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He also has an ongoing case at the 6th Division for graft for the allegedly anomalous Werfast deal as well as graft and usurpation of authority cases along with former President Benigno Aquino III in connection with the bloody Mamasapano incident.