BY AARON RECUENCO
Outgoing Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa said there will be no mañanita for his 56thbirthday on Wednesday which coincides with his mandatory retirement from the police service.
“I am packed and ready to go. But sorry there will be no celebration and there will be no mañanita. I already issued a directive that there must be no mañanita,” said Gamboa.
Mañanita is a long-held tradition in the police and the military wherein commanders are greeted by their subordinates, who also prepare food for gathering, in the earliest time possible on their birthday.
But the tradition was marred with controversy due to impropriety issues when Metro Manila police chief Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas held a birthday party inside a police headquarters at the time when large gatherings and celebrations were prohibited due to quarantine rules.
The word mañanita is now associated with abuse and double standard in the implementation of the quarantine rules.
Instead of a celebration, Gamboa said the greetings would just be done via Zoom. (Aaron Recuenco)
