By AARON RECUENCO
Police Major Gen. Debold Sinas, head of the National Capital Region Police Office, is facing an investigation over his birth anniversary party held last May 8 amid the strict enhanced community quarantine.
Philippine National Police chief Police Gen. Archie Gamboa yesterday directed the PNP Internal Affairs Service to take the lead in the conduct of the investigation against Sinas, PNP spokesman Police Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said.
IAS is an office under the PNP which is tasked to investigate wrongdoings of policemen.
“PNP chief Police Gen. Archie Gamboa immediately directed the Inspector General of the Internal Affairs Service to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged violation of quarantine protocols during a PNP social event,” a PNP statement said.
Gamboa moved to probe Sinas after Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año was displeased over the propriety of the alleged birth anniversary party of Sinas.
Banac said that the IAS was already tasked to send a team of investigators to the NCRPO to look into reports that protocols on physical distancing and mass gathering of persons were allegedly overlooked during Sinas’s birth anniversary celebration.
Gamboa defended Sinas last Tuesday, saying that all those who went to the party observed physical distancing and that the guests were wearing face masks.
Gamboa apparently relied on the statement of Sinas that there was no birth anniversary party held.
Pictures of the party were taken and posted on the NCRPO Facebook page. However, these appeared to contradict Sinas as the photos showed guests not observing physical distancing and some of them were not even wearing face masks.
One of the photos also showed Sinas blowing a candle on a birth anniversary cake.
“Sinas assured me that physical distancing was observed that time so if there are violations, then I will look into it but as of yet I still trust Gen. Sinas,” said Gamboa in a virtual press briefing last Tuesday.
Gamboa ordered the probe after the incident became controversial and that Año himself said that police officials should exercise “delicadeza” (propriety), being at the frontline of the ECQ guideline implementation.
“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,” the PNP statement said.
“The chief PNP strongly reiterates strict observance of all public health protocols and biosafety standards by all personnel at all times,” it added.
Meanwhile, Department of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said yesterday that he will order the National Bureau of Investigation to look into possible violations of quarantine protocols committed during the birth anniversary celebration of Sinas.
“I will ask the NBI to look into this, too,” Guevarra said. “There is already an existing order to the NBI to investigate violations of quarantine protocols.” (With a report from Jeffrey Damicog)
