Sinas should be punished, but public shouldn’t ‘sow more hatred’ — Lacson
MANILA, Philippines — National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Major Gen. Debold Sinas “should get the punishment he deserves” for his alleged violation of quarantine protocols, but the public should not “rub salt to injury,” Senator Panfilo Lacson said Friday.
In a statement, Lacson clarified that he never suggested for “forgiveness or absolution” for Sinas after the senator tweeted that the public may also want to consider the Metro Manila police chief’s contribution in keeping the capital region safe from coronavirus.
Lacson made his statement following the criticism received by Sinas over his controversial birthday celebration, attended by several police officials, which took place on May 8 despite the enhanced community quarantine being imposed by the government.
“Whichever way one looks at it, NCRPO chief Police Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas set a bad example in committing what he did during his birthday ‘mañanita’ or whatever he wants to call it. As a result, he has been bashed, criticized and pilloried both on social and mainstream media for the incident, even as he has since apologized and regretted his indiscretion,” the senator said.
“Certainly, he should get the punishment he deserves even as the appropriate authorities are already investigating him,” he added.
Lacson reiterated his earlier tweet saying that Sinas’ “long law-enforcement service to the country and the Filipino people, and his present efforts in supervising the checkpoints all over Metro Manila to make us safe from the coronavirus threat,” should not be taken to mean that he is suggesting “forgiveness or absolution” for the NCRPO chief.
“Rather, it is an appeal to concerned netizens not to rub salt to injury by going to the extent of posting out-of-date photos to sow more hatred towards Sinas by exploiting the naïveté of certain individuals to join the bandwagon of hate towards the police officer,” Lacson said.
Criminal charges have been filed against Sinas and 18 other police officers for their failure to follow quarantine protocols during the NCRPO’s chief birthday “mañanita.”
Before this, Sinas apologized, saying it was “never (his) intention to disobey” existing quarantine protocols and claimed that some of the photos circulating online were “edited or grapped from old posts.”
