Andronico Del Rosario
Has President Rodrigo Duterte really gone off of his rocker?
In a move that surprised everyone, Duterte just appointed probably the lone person who wasn’t qualified to lead the Philippine National Police (PNP): NCRPO Chief Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas.
JUST IN: Pres. Duterte appoints NCRPO Chief Debold Sinas as new PNP chief. | via @Joseph_Morong pic.twitter.com/tWApo9Yr5O
— GMA Integrated News Breaking (@gmanewsbreaking) November 9, 2020
Netizens are having a field day after hearing of the development during Malacañang’s weekly Laging Handa televised briefing.
Welcome to the Upside Down: Sinas' rise to PNP chief shows Duterte rewarding rights violators https://t.co/HoVODaWQqw
— Maria Ressa (@mariaressa) November 9, 2020
https://twitter.com/mabuendiahd/status/1325682027757072385
Debold Sinas is the symbol of the government's double standards and intoxication with power.
For Duterte to elevate Sinas as PNP chief instead of punishing him speaks of his shameless hypocrisy and total lack of respect for the Filipino people.
— Gideon Lasco (@gideonlasco) November 9, 2020
The man dubbed as the “mañanita cop” hasn’t given a statement as of writing, but there are people who have questioned his appointment, particularly one of Duterte’s former mentors, Jose Maria Sison.
https://twitter.com/josemariasison/status/1325761451932446720
Some highlighted Duterte’s weird policy of wanting to rid the government of corruption—yet appointing blatant violators and corrupt career politicians into high-ranking posts.
Sinas’ appointment as PNP chief shows clearly Duterte’s basic governance rule — we impose rules on you, we do as we want.
Tyranny is ALWAYS at the service of the corrupt.— inday espina varona (@indayevarona) November 9, 2020
https://twitter.com/gbautistaaa/status/1325669851659120640
During the briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Sinas’s appointment “is a matter of trust and confidence and he is, for the moment, the most trusted by the President so let’s leave it at that,”
Both Gen. Camilo Cascolan, who Sinas is replacing as PNP chief, and Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa have said Sinas is “a good choice” given his “proven track record”.
“General Sinas needs all the support and strong commitment of the PNP Officer Corps and rank-and-file for him to effectively discharge his duties and functions as Chief PNP,” Cascolan said in a statement.
Sen. Francis Pangilinan, on the other hand, said he wasn’t surprised at all at Sinas’s appointment. “Allies (of this administration) involved in corruption do not get punished but instead are covered up for or promoted,” which brings to mind appointments Duterte made in the Bureau of Customs and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
News outlets were having a heyday drafting multiple articles about Sinas’s track record, specifically highlighting his mañanita or “surprise” birthday party during the capital’s time under the enhanced community quarantine or ECQ.
Some have even brought to light his actual track record, with dozens of killings during his time in Cebu City.
Sinas’s appointment as PNP Chief also brings to light former PNP Chief Archie Gamboa’s standing order on not allowing overweight cops to be promoted.
The order was issued in early January, with Gamboa saying those who want to apply for promotion must meet a healthy body mass index or BMI before they can even send in their applications.
If recent photos are anything to go by, Debold Sinas isn’t anywhere near having a healthy BMI.
Sinas was director of the Central Visayas’ regional police office in Cebu City from July 2018 until January this year, when he was appointed head of the National Capital Region Police Office.
His mandatory retirement is on May 2021, when he turns 56.
This means that, at the very least, we don’t need to bear with his presence as PNP chief for too long.
