BY ARGYLL CYRUS B. GEDUCOS
President Duterte defended controversial cop General Debold Sinas from criticisms following his appointment as the new Philippine National Police (PNP) chief.
In a special presidential message uploaded on YouTube Saturday evening, Duterte said he was his call to appoint Sinas despite controversies and despite the charges he is facing due to alleged quarantine violations during his mañanita in May.
“Itong si General Sinas, chief PNP, akin ‘to. This is my call,” he said.
“I take full responsibility but I also guarantee his competence and expertise in police work,” he added.
According to Duterte, he sees nothing wrong with the mañanita, and even if Sinas violated anything because of it, he was already pardoned.
“Wala akong nakitang kasalanan na masama na may moral implications, may masamang malisya, wala,” he said.
“Akin na ‘yun. At kung may kasalanan man siya doon, pardon na siya,” he added.
President Duterte also defended the mañanita itself.
“‘Yang mañanita, it’s almost a religious ritual – nakaugalian na talaga ng mga Pilipino. Hindi kasalanan ng pobreng Sinas na ‘yan na pumunta sila doon. Hindi naman niya alam. Surprise. Eh alang-alang namang sipain niya doon? ‘Di kausapin niya (Mañanita is almost a religious ritual–a Filipino practice. It’s not poor Sinas’s fault if they visited him. He didn’t know. It was a surprise. He couldn’t kick them out, He had to talk to them),” he said.
Duterte said that Sinas was the better choice because he was not corrupt.
Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said that the criminal complaint filed against Sinas for alleged violation of quarantine protocols has to be resolved first before President Duterte could exercise, if needed, his constitutional power to grant executive clemency.
He stressed that “the President is very much aware that a case is still pending (against Sinas) and he is merely indicating his intent to act with liberality in consideration of General Sinas’ overall performance as a career police officer.”
Guevarra explained that the President’s intent to pardon Sinas “indicates that the President will wait for a finding of fault or guilt after proper proceeding, whether administrative or criminal.”
“The Department of Justice (DoJ) will do what it is duty-bound to do, and the President may also do what he is constitutionally authorized to do,” he added. (with a report from Rey Panaligan)
