https://arab.news/9hw6t
- Sinas鈥� appointment to top post 鈥渕atter of trust and confidence,鈥� presidential spokesperson says
MANILA: A controversial general who drew public ire after holding a birthday party amid a COVID-19 lockdown has been appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as the new chief of the Philippines National Police (PNP).
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announced Maj. General Debold Sinas鈥� appointment as the head of the country鈥檚 219,000-strong police force during a regular press briefing in Malacanang on Monday.
Roque said Sinas, who is currently the Metro Manila police chief, will formally assume the PNP鈥檚 top post on Tuesday, replacing Gen. Camilo Cascolan who has reached retirement age.
Following the announcement, many were quick to question the selection process for the PNP chief鈥檚 post and the qualities which made Sinas the right choice.
Roque, however, pointed out that 鈥減residential appointments are really very executive in character.鈥�
鈥淚t is a prerogative of the president, and he need not make any explanation for his appointment.
Nonetheless, he considered the track record of his appointee, and he has long said that newly designated PNP chief Sinas has made a very big contribution to the war on drugs, he said.
Roque added that Sinas鈥� 鈥渁ppointment to the post is a matter of trust and confidence鈥� and that Sinas is, 鈥渇or the moment, the most trusted by the president.鈥�
Sinas became the subject of widespread criticism after photos of his pre-dawn birthday bash, on May 8 went viral on the police force鈥檚 official Facebook page, while the entire National Capital Region (NCR) was under lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Some of the images showed police officers giving red roses to Sinas as part of the 鈥渕ananita鈥� or birthday serenade.
Another picture showed the general seated at a table with six other people. Nobody was wearing face masks, while an investigation revealed that there were about 50 people at the party.
The incident prompted the PNP Internal Affairs Service (IAS) to file a case against Sinas and 18 other police officers. It alleged that the party violated stringent physical distancing measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Duterte, at the time, had agreed that Sinas鈥� birthday bash was 鈥渨rong鈥� but said that he would let the investigation team determine the course of action against the general.
And despite the controversy, the president retained Sinas in his role, saying that his services were needed and describing him as an 鈥渉onest鈥� and 鈥済ood鈥� police officer.
Sinas has since apologized for the incident.
When asked during the press briefing whether Sinas鈥� appointment would absolve him of all charges, Roque said: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think so. That鈥檚 not how our laws operate.鈥�
Meanwhile, opposition Senator Rissa Hontiveros said that the president 鈥渃ould have made a more meritorious choice鈥� for PNP chief.
鈥淲hile Debold Sinas was my late husband鈥檚 underclassman and an old friend, unfortunately, the poor manner in which the PNP has acted on the waves of violence as well as minimized the risks of the coronavirus pandemic under his previous commands betrays his level of competence for this new role,鈥� she said in a statement.
On the other hand, Senator Panfilo Lacson, a former PNP chief, said that 鈥渂arring any controversy that Sinas got entangled with in the past, he is a good choice for the top PNP post.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e known him as a performer, always mission-oriented and undoubtedly will lead the police institution the way it should be led. That said, the birthday mananita event was a hard lesson that I hope he has learned from, and which he will surely remember whenever he will be confronted in making decisions affecting the PNP as well as his reputation,鈥� Lacson said.