Duterte keeping Sinas at NCRPO ‘erodes’ credibility of IATF, PNP — Drilon
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to retain Metro Manila police chief Maj. General Debold Sinas, who was recently embroiled in a “mañanita” controversy, “erodes” the public’s confidence in the government’s ability to enforce quarantine measures, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said.
In a taped public address aired late Tuesday, Duterte said he would not order Sinas relieved, adding that the police official is an “honest” and a “good officer.”
“That erodes the confidence of our people on the ability of the government to enforce the rules of the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force). The IATF has imposed this social distancing and the implementer is the PNP (Philippine National Police),” Drilon said in an interview on CNN Philippines “The Source” on Wednesday when sought for a comment on the President’s remarks.
“The PNP itself does not follow the rules enforced by the IATF, you will find difficulty for the ordinary citizens to follow the same rules. It erodes the credibility of the IATF and the PNP to enforce the rules that they promulgated because the implementers themselves do not follow them,” he added.
The PNP Internal Affairs Service is investigating Sinas for violating quarantine measures after he allowed fellow officers to serenade him on his 55th birthday on May 8 despite the lockdown of Metro Manila, considered as the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the Philippines.
Last week, the PNP filed criminal charges against Sinas and 18 other police officials, including five generals, for violating quarantine rules.
/MUF
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