MANILA, Philippines — National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas on Thursday said there were no double standards observed during his birthday celebration which supposedly violated social distancing rules being enforced during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).
“Hindi po yun double standard. Unang una, nandito kami sa quarters po yung wala kami sa kalsada. Nasa loob ng kampo po yun, ‘di naman po kami nasa kalsada,” Sinas told CNN Philippines when asked for reaction on a lawmaker’s statement that only ordinary people get arrested when violating lockdown rules.
(That was not a double standard. First, we had the celebration at the quarters, we did not hold it on the streets. We were inside the camp, we were not in the streets.)
“Parang hindi naman ako senior officer kung hindi ko sila haharapin. Well-wishers ko po yan at sinabihan ko sila after this, kumain kayo, umalis kayo at meron pa tayong gagawin. I don’t think there is a double standard,” he added.
(I would not be a senior officer if I did not face them. They were my well-wishers and I told them to eat and then leave because we still have things to do. I don’t think there was a double standard.)
Earlier, Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite said ordinary people who allegedly violated quarantine rules were violently arrested while those in power can still attend parties.
To recall, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) organized a mañanita or birthday serenade for Sinas last May 8 at Camp Bagong Diwa, NCRPO Headquarters in Taguig City.
Photos of the celebration, which have now been deleted from the NCRPO Facebook page, showed Sinas blowing candles from his birthday cake and police officers lining up at a buffet spread and sitting with him during the event.
The National Bureau of Investigation and Philippine National Police (PNP) Internal Affairs Service have been asked to investigate the event and determine if there were violations of quarantine protocols.