Galvez says ‘mañanita’ blooper already an ‘old issue’
The chief enforcer of the government’s pandemic response is the latest to ask the public to move on from the “mañanita” controversy hounding Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).
Calling Sinas’ violation of quarantine protocols an “old issue,” National Task Force on COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. said people should instead be more understanding of police efforts to enforce the lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19.
“The way we see it, we should not highlight what can be called as an unfortunate incident,” Galvez said.
“I believe it is already an old issue. It was already resolved by the Department of Interior and Local Government…As far as I know, there’s already a resolution,” he added without elaborating.
Galvez’ appeal was spurred by a question raised during the regular Laging Handa briefing held in Malacañang on Thursday.
The chief of the National Task Force on COVID-19 was asked how the Philippine National Police can enforce quarantine restrictions when Sinas was seen to have violated them.
The NCRPO’s Facebook page posted photographs of Sinas spending his birthday on May 8 with more than 10 persons in his house—a quarantine violation. He and his guests also failed to observe physical distancing and many were not wearing face masks.
At one point, Sinas was also seen blowing a candle in close proximity to the man holding his birthday cake.
The NCRPO took down the photos hours in the ensuing furor over social media. Sinas and 18 other policemen were eventually charged before the Taguig City prosecutors’ office for violating community quarantine restrictions.
PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa dismissed Sinas’ birthday blooper as a “closed issue” on Wednesday. It was Gamboa who first used the term “mañanita,” or birthday serenade at dawn.”So we ask, that in these kinds of issues, of course we have shortcomings. We should understand that, since we don’t know the circumstances in which the picture was taken,” Galvez said.
