MANILA, Philippines — It is the prerogative of the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief to promote Metro Manila police director Major Gen. Debold Sinas, who is facing criminal cases over the mañanita controversy.
PNP deputy chief for administration Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar asserted this Friday, stressing that Cascolan “is the head of our organization at mas alam niya kung sino magoccupy no’n (he knows better about who must occupy the post).
However, Eleazar, a batchmate of Sinas in the Philippine Military Academy, also said during an ABS-CBN News Channel interview that although the National Capital Region Police Office chief could be assigned to a position at the PNP Headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City, it may “not necessarily” be a promotion to a higher rank.
“In the case of promotion, kasi dalawa ‘yun: promotion of rank and it could be a promotion of position. From the regional director, if you are going to occupy a directorial position or other positions na nasa (at the) National Headquarters which could be considered promotion by virtue of position but not necessarily promotion by virtue of rank,” explained Eleazar, the current No. 2 man in the PNP.
“But kagaya ng sinabi natin, ang Chief PNP ay nasa kanya po ang kanyang discretion at power para mag-reshuffle na kung saan tingin niya ay makakatulong sa kanyang kampanya,” he added.
(But as I said, it is up to the chief PNP’s discretion and power to order a reshuffle when he sees it could help him in his campaign.)
In a previous interview, Cascolan said Sinas deserves a promotion, noting that he is looking into appointing Calabarzon police chief Brig. Gen. Vicente Danao as new NCRPO director.
Interior chief Eduardo Año, meanwhile, said Sinas is “no longer eligible” for promotion to a three-star rank or occupy a three-star position because Republic Act 8551 or the Philippine National Police Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998 prohibits this promotion.
Under the law, any officer who has less than one year prior to his day of retirement will not be promoted to a higher rank or any other position except for the Chief PNP post.
Sinas was appointed director of NCRPO on Oct. 12, 2019. He will reach his mandatory retirement on May 8, 2021, which means he only has less than one year to separate from the PNP service.