PNP chief complied with Calapan City travel requirements, says mayor

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Debold Sinas met all travel requirements and his supposed violation of COVID-19 health protocols when he visited Calapan City has yet to be established, Mayor Arnan Panaligan clarified on Monday.

Panaligan said that only online registration and confirmation from the LGU are required for those who want to travel to the city—requirements that he said Sinas has met before his visit.

 “As far as we are concerned, nag-online registration si General Sinas at nakatanggap siya ng confirmation. Kasi nga ay maluwag na ngayon per IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) rules. Hindi rin required ang PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test sa mga travelers. So dumaan naman sa proseso si General Sinas,” he said in an ABS-CBN Teleradyo interview.

 (As far as we are concerned, General Sinas went through online registration and has received confirmation. Travel requirements were eased by IATF rules. PCR test is also not required for travelers. So General Sinas went through the process.)

“Nacorrect namin ‘yan. Hindi pa naman ma-establish na merong violation of protocol kasi ang required lang naman ay online registration at confirmation. So dumaan siya sa prosesong iyon,” he added.

(We have corrected that. It has not been established if he violated protocols because we only require online registration and confirmation. He went through that process.)

Panaligan said he spoke with the PNP Mimaropa regional director and learned that Sinas proceeded with his March 11 trip to Calapan City because he tested negative for COVID-19 in a PCR test on March 9.

Panaligan, however, noted that Sinas again went through another test on March 11 for his next travel in Palawan.

“So ‘yung March 9 na PCR test na negative siya, for Calapan City ‘yun kaya sya tumuloy. ‘Yun namang March 11 na PCR test, para sa Palawan. Doon siya positive,” he said.

 (So his negative PCR test on March 9 was for his trip to Calapan City that’s why he proceeded.  His March 11 PCR test was for his Palawan travel. That was when he tested positive.)

 Earlier, the provincial government of Oriental Mindoro said Sinas did not pass through the pier of the province in Calapan City for a health clearance.

He arrived instead by helicopter before proceeding to the PNP regional headquarters. 

In a separate interview, Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor said that Sinas can be held responsible if proven that he violated health protocols.

“If the city government says na walang coordination sa kanila at walang nangyari na health profiling upon arrival dahil walang coordination, for me, he can be held responsible that,” he told Teleradyo.

 (If the city government says there is no coordination and health profiling, for me he can be held responsible for that.)

 “However, I am deferring my final judgment on the matter kasi (because) we are also doing our own investigation kung ano talaga ang nagtranspire (on what really transpired),” he added.

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