BY NOEL TALACAY and VICTOR REYES
MAJ. Gen. Debold Sinas on Wednesday received more flak for the party held to celebrate his 55th birthday last Friday but the Metro Manila police chief continued to insist the gathering did not violate quarantine protocols on social distancing and mass gathering that his office is mandated to implement.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año issued the harshest rebuke, saying the celebration, held at the NCRO headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa, was “uncalled for.” Año, however, added that he is leaving it to the PNP to conduct an investigation on the event that netizens pointed out violated protocols in the government’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sinas, as the NCRPO chief, is leading the PNP’s implementation of the quarantine guidelines in Metro Manila. The PNP is among the agencies under the DILG.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he will instruct the National Bureau of Investigation to look into the event to determine if it violated the rules of the enhanced community quarantine put in place to curb the spread of the deadly virus.
Senators, meanwhile, lashed out at the PNP for its alleged double standard in the application of the law by turning a blind eye to the violations committed by Sinas and PNP personnel while arresting and jailing other violators of the ECQ, especially the common “tao.”
“Habang nagtitiis ang milyon nating kababayan na sumusunod sa quarantine at inaaresto, kinakasuhan at kinukulong ang libu-libo, heto naman si Sinas at iba pang matataas na opisyal na hinahayaan ng gobyernong lumabag sa quarantine na walang parusa. Maling mali (While millions of our countrymen strictly follow the quarantine measure and violators are jailed, here comes Sinas and other ranking government officials who violate the law without being punished. This is totally wrong),” Sen. Francis Pangilinan said.
PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa on Tuesday said he will investigate whether the party, attended by dozens of personnel, violated mass gathering protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic but merely gave Sinas a tap on the wrist.
“Kung meron man (if there was a party), then I will look into it but as of yet, I still trust Gen. Sinas,” Gamboa said in a virtual press briefing.
PNP Spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac on Wednesday said Gamboa directed the Inspector General of the PNP Internal Affairs Service to look into the circumstances of the gathering, particularly violation of the quarantine rules.
“The PNP is not exempt from strict rules on mass gathering and I am directing all unit commanders to prohibit any and all social gatherings,” Banac said
Even Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen weighed in on the controversy, saying holding such gatherings at this time is “insensitive.” Leonen noted in a Twitter post that the SC did not hold a party or gathering during the retirement last May 11 of Justice Andres Reyes Jr., who bowed out of the judiciary after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
“Parties are mass gatherings. It is insensitive to hold one. The Supreme Court held a retirement ceremony for a justice with 40 years of service via private videoconferencing ceremony. He deserves more but we had to do what was ethical while our people suffer,” Leonen said.
SINAS DEFENSESinas said some of the photos posted on the Facebook page of the NCRPO public information office were “edited.”
“Some of the pictures circulating in social media were edited and grabbed from old posts. The pictures may depict itself; however, it does not define the totality of what really had happened,” he said.
Posted on the official NCRPO Facebook page on the morning of May 8 were several photos showing Sinas blowing out the candle on his Voltes V birthday cake, photos of the “mañanita” (early morning serenade) held for Sinas, and photos of the attendees who were clearly ignoring physical distancing.
One of the pictures also showed Sinas without a face mask while seated on a table with six other men. A live band was shown performing. The photos were removed on Wednesday (May 13).
Sinas issued a statement saying: “I was caught up with a traditional Mañanita spontaneously conducted by some of my officers and men in their own volition. In all actuality, my accommodation to them was done with all cautiousness because I am fully aware of the Anti COVID measures being implemented by the government.”
He added that all people who attended the celebration were told to observe social distancing and other precautionary health measures.
Before the gathering, Sinas was also seen on TV reports distributing relief goods to families in Tondo, Manila affected by the pandemic, with social distancing not properly observed.
AÑO REBUKE
In a press briefing in Malacañang, Año said: “Sa panahon ngayon, uncalled for ‘yung mga ganyang klaseng pagsalo-salo, gathering ano. Titingnan natin kung ano ‘yung magiging appropriate sanction o whatever kung ano magiging resulta ng investigation. (During this time, those kinds of gatherings is uncalled for. We’ll see what the appropriate sanction based on the result of the investigation).”
Año, however, also came to the defense of Sinas, saying the event was not actually a birthday party but a mere mañanita (early morning serenade), which he said is a tradition in both the AFP and PNP to greet officials celebrating their birthday.
In a radio interview, Año said: “Ang aking sinasabi sa ating mga government officials, lalo na sa nasasakupan ng DILG, ito ‘yung tinatawag nating delicadeza. May mga pagkakataon na kailangan maging example ka. (What I am telling our government officials, especially those under the DILG, is that we have something we call delicadeza. There are times when you need to be an example).”
Año said Sinas might have not been aware of the event. He surmised it was organized by the latter’s subordinate officers to surprise the NCRPO chief on his birthday.
“That is a big no no habang nasa ECQ tayo, meron tayong crisis (that is a big no no while we are on ECQ, we have a crisis),” said Año.
“Wala ‘yung mga celebration na ganyan, ‘yung mga organized dinner na ganito, delicadeza nga eh. Right there and then, dapat ipatigil mo kung meron man mga ganyan. (There should have been no celebration like that, organized dinner like that, we should have delicadeza. Right there and then, you should have stopped it),” said Año.
SENATORS LASH OUT
Pangilinan said Sinas and his colleagues present in the gathering can be arrested on site, as what the police have been doing against ordinary people.
“Kung seryoso sila sa pagpapatupad ng batas sa lahat dapat sampahan ng kasong paglabag sa batas ang mga ‘yan at ikulong kasama ang libu-libo na kinulong nila dahil sa quarantine violations (If the PNP is serious in implementing the law, it should have filed charges against Sinas and his company and threw them in jail like what they did to the thousands who were jailed because of quarantine violations),” Pangilinan said.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the gathering sets a bad precedent as it violated social distancing measures.
“That will leave a bad taste in the mouth of some of our countrymen, especially the people in Metro Manila. Kasi ang iisipin nila pagka pala pulis ang gumawa ng violation, puede. Hindi man lang pagsasabihan. Hindi maganda (They will think that cops are exempted from punishments when they violate the law, that they will not even be reprimanded. That’s not good),” Sotto said, adding the PNP chief could have at least reprimand Sinas.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson said the gathering sets a bad example for all as it conveyed those who are supposed to implement the law can actually break it.
“More than the quarantine violation, from whatever direction we look at the incident, it projects a bad example, coming even from those tasked to enforce the ECQ. Social gathering clearly has its price health wise, considering the tricky nature of the COVID-19 virus,” Lacson said.
Early this month, former Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada was arrested by the local police for violation of the ECQ protocols when he distributed fresh milkfish (bangus) to residents of a barangay in San Juan City. He was later released after being given a warning.
Sinas issued an apology on Wednesday but this did not sit well with Pangilinan.
“Mabuti pa siya sorry, pati lahat ng pulis at bisita na dumalo hindi kailangan makasuhan at ikulong, habang libu-libo na ang naaresto sa paglabag sa quarantine (Sinas’ apology would apparently mean that the NCRPO chief, the cops, and visitors who attended the party will not be charged and jailed, while thousands have already been arrested for violating ECQ protocols),” Pangilinan said.
He said if Sinas’ apology is enough to free him from any liability, the same should be done to those who violated the ECQ measures.
GUEVARRA: IMPLEMENT LAW FAIRLY
Guevarra said that as DOJ chief he has always advised the NBI to “implement the laws fairly and uniformly” as he noted that the case filed by lawyer Rico Quicho against Sen. Aquilino “Koko”Pimentel III, who is accused of violating ECQ rules when he accompanied his pregnant wife to the Makati Medical Center is now under preliminary investigation.
“I will ask the NBI to look into this too (Sinas birthday celebration). There is already an existing order to the NBI to investigate violations of quarantine protocols,” Guevarra.
“I will instruct the NBI to include more recent cases of alleged quarantine violations by some personalities. My instruction is to look into all reported cases of non-cooperation and violation of quarantine protocols regardless of who is involved. NBI know who these people are,” Guevarra added.
Guevarra said the NBI has already summoned local officials to explained alleged violations of quarantine protocols.
The NBI has summoned Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto last month for possible violation of ECQ rules after he floated the idea of allowing the operation of tricycles in the city to ferry health workers and other frontliners despite the ban on public transport while the ECQ is in effect. Sotto insisted the city government did not violate any ECQ rules. –– With Raymond Africa and Ashzel Hachero
