Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas, director of the National Capital Region Police Office (File Photo from NCRPO)
MANILA, Philippines — Despite his supposed quarantine violations due to his controversial mañanita birthday celebration in May, Police Major General Debold Sinas gets to start with a clean slate as the new Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Tuesday.
“I don’t see that kind of reason, kasi nasa performance naman iyan ni General Sinas. Ngayong Philippine National Police chief na siya, clean slate siya ngayon. Nag-start na today as a chief PNP. Bagong slate na iyan. Walang kinalaman ang mga nakaraan. At ang sinabi natin isa lang ang may kapangyarihan: ang Presidente. Kapag inappoint na niya iyan, hindi na niya kailangan mag-explain kahit kanino,” Año told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview.
(I don’t see that kind of reason because that depends on the performance of General Sinas. Now that he is PNP chief, he has a clean slate. He starts today as PNP chief. It’s a new slate. The past has no effect. And as I have said, only the President has the power. Once he appoints someone, he does not need to explain it.)
Año was responding to a query about problems in police enforcement of COVID-19 health rules amid the designation of Sinas as new PNP chief.
Sinas is facing criminal and administrative complaints for breach of quarantine measures in connection with his May 8 birthday celebration capped by a mañanita (midnight serenade) at the height of a strict community quarantine.
On Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Sinas, the outgoing chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), as the new head of the nation’s police force, replacing outgoing PNP chief Police General Camilo Cascolan.
Aside from the mañanita issue, Sinas was previously under fire in July after he and his personnel allegedly harassed a family while serving an eviction order at an old police compound in Taguig.
Sinas, who was former chief of Central Visayas police chief, was also implicated in the unsolved killings of people involved in the narcotics trade from 2018 to 2019.
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) investigators said Sinas would not share copies of police reports regarding the killing in Central Visayas.
Punishment or promotion?
Meanwhile, Año said Sinas cannot be punished for now as the court is still deciding on the complaints filed against him and 18 other police officers last May 15, days after the mañanita celebration.
“Iyong kaso ni General Sinas iyong sinasabi ng violation ng quarantine, inihain na ito sa proper forum, na-isampa na sa piskal. Iyong piskal magdedetermine sa probable cause para iakyat sa korte so may proseso doon,” Año said.
(General Sinas’ quarantine violation case was already served to the proper forum, a case was filed before the prosecutor. The prosecutor will determine if there is probable cause so the case can proceed to the court so there is a process there.)
“Kung ano ilalabas doon kung ano iyong resulta doon, ibang usapin iyon. Sa ngayon, wala pa naman result iyan, hindi pa naman isang regular case sa court. Wala pang decision. Hindi mo pwedeng parusahan iyong tao sa isang bagay na hindi pa nagaganap so pabayaan muna natin tumakbo ang case na iyon. we will cross the bridge when we get there,” the interior department chief added.
(Whatever the result, that’s another matter. For now, there are no results, it is not a regular case of the court. There is no decision yet. You can’t punish a person if there are still no developments so let the case run its course. We will cross the bridge when we get there.)
“Sa ngayon, ako, bilang Department of [the] Interior and Local Government Secretary, I will give him a chance and let him come up with expectations of the people and expectations of the president,” he further said.
(For now, I, as the DILG Secretary, will give him a chance and let him come up with expectations of the people and expectations of the President.)