Palace: Sinas not yet off the hook
President Rodrigo Duterte’s remarks in support of Metro Manila’s embattled police chief Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas will not have any bearing on the cases against him for alleged violation of community quarantine protocols, a Malacañang official said on Thursday, adding that any charges against Sinas would undergo due process.
“So what will happen to the investigation, given that there are criminal and administrative cases? The President was clear when he said [Sinas] will stay in his post. And since the President is a former fiscal, he knows that the process for criminal cases must move forward,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.
Earlier, Sinas and 18 other policemen were charged with violating community quarantine restrictions and Republic Act No. 11332 or the Law on Reporting of Communicable Diseases.
Photos of Sinas’ “mañanita” (birthday serenade) went viral on social media after the National Capital Region Police Office’s official Facebook page posted them earlier this month.
The photos showed policemen and guests—some of them without face masks—gathered at a buffet spread and on several tables, with social distancing and the liquor ban hardly observed. The Philippine National Police’s Internal Affairs Service said Sinas and some police officers violated restrictions on mass gatherings, social distancing and the wearing of masks meant to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.
Sinas is also facing administrative cases of less grave neglect of duty and less grave misconduct, charges that have a maximum penalty of 60 days suspension.
Roque explained that the administrative and criminal cases against Sinas and the other police officers would undergo preliminary investigation by the city prosecutor’s office, after which the city prosecutor would decide if the cases should be filed in court or dismissed.
