MANILA – Major General Debold Sinas’ appointment as new chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) will not absolve him of criminal and administrative cases over his controversial mañanita last May, said Palace spokesperson Harry Roque.
“Sinas’ PNP appointment will have no bearing on the judgment of the city prosecutor’s office. That’s not how our laws operate,” Roque said in a virtual press conference on Tuesday.
The PNP-Internal Affairs Service filed the charges against Sinas along with 18 others citing violation of social distancing protocols under the enhanced community quarantine.
Photos of the mañanita posted on the website of the Public Information Office of the PNP showed Sinas and several guests sharing a buffet meal and sitting next to one another, with some not wearing face masks.
As for criminal charges, the PNP-IAS said it found that the police personnel may be held liable for violation of Republic Act 111332, or the “Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act,” as well as Taguig City Ordinance No. 12-2020 mandating the wearing of face masks and observance of physical distancing.
For administrative charges, Sinas and the other officials are facing offenses of less grave neglect of duty as well as less grave misconduct over the birthday gathering.
“‘Yung importanteng kaso diyan ay ‘yung kasong kriminal. Nakabinbin pa ito sa city prosecutors office ng Taguig City, meaning wala pang kasong kriminal si Sinas,” Roque said. “Nariyan pa rin ang administrative charges [ni Sinas].”/PN
