MANILA – National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Debold Sinas and several other police officials have been formally charged before the Taguig Prosecutors Office after allegedly violating pandemic protocols when he allowed and participated in a mass gathering.
The Philippine National Police-Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAS) filed the complaint before the Taguig court against Sinas and 18 others at around three in the afternoon on Friday.
The 19 NCRPO police officials and officers were charged for the violation of Republic Act 11332 or Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events and Public Health Concern Act and local ordinance of Taguig City on wearing face mask.
They were also slapped with administrative charges for neglect of duty and for the violation of the EO 112 which adapts the resolution of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Disease for the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine to stop the spread of the disease.
Meanwhile, PNP chief Archie Gamboa and the PNP’s Advisory Group has several options in dealing with Sinas and the cops who were there in the party despite most part of the country is under enhanced community quarantine.
“Once the charges are filed and it is found that there is probable cause, the top management of the PNP may exercise options of administratively relieving officials,” PNP spokesperson Bernard Banac said in an interview with CNN Philippines.
“But there’s also the possibility that they may stay for the reason that we are in this public health emergency and we may not have to change top executives in the middle of this fight against COVID-19,” he added.
Sinas received criticisms after photos of his birthday celebration on May 8 at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City— which he had labeled as a simple “mañanita” or early morning serenade – went viral online earlier this week.
The pictures were initially uploaded on the Facebook page of NCRPO’s public information office where police officers were seen giving Sinas roses and cakes while other photos were seen Sinas mingling with guests seated at various tables.
Sinas has apologized for the incident, but claimed he found “nothing wrong” with the gathering, saying proper social distancing and health measures were followed by the guests./PN
