A week after taking over as Metro Manila’s top cop, P/Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas undoubtedly earned the ire of a group of media practitioners after he booted them all out of their press office at the Quezon City Police station in Kamuning last Thursday.
Gen. Sinas reportedly told the members of the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) press corps that he needed to use the office space so the media group had to pack up and vacate what had been the press office for years.
Remate reporter Lily Reyes, the NCRPO press corps president, pleaded with Sinas to designate another place within the premises where they can do their work and which is still accessible to public transport, as most of their media members commute for work.
In reply to Reyes’ request, the newly installed NCRPO chief vehemently said no and told them to look for another office somewhere else and move their furniture and equipment by the end of the month.
According to Reyes, that press office located at the 2nd floor of Quezon City Precinct 10, was assigned for use of the media by then NCRPO chief Gen. Joel Pagdilao several years back. Since then, media people covering the NCRPO beat use that particular room to write their stories and beat their deadlines, particularly those in the print media. That is, until last Thursday when Sinas arrogantly told them to turn over the office to the police.
“We are all wondering what will General Sinas do with that office which was unoccupied for years and left to rot until it was given to us. Surely, he will not use it as his office since the NCRPO headquarters is in Taguig,” Reyes said.
As if adding insult to injury, Gen. Sinas came out with a “media protocol” hours after announcing the eviction. “No one-on-one and ambush interviews by the press, and all queries will be answered by the designated spokesperson only” says the memo handed to the members of the press corps. This means that the NCRPO Chief will not be easily available to answer media inquiries about important issues involving the police.
So, why does Sinas seem to hate the media? Perhaps he just doesn’t want the press snooping around police headquarters and its stations under NCRPO, and eventually stumble on abuses, anomalies or corrupt practices ala “ninja cops.”
Observers believe that Sinas seemed tolerant to his men’s abuses which he displayed when he recently defended the 16 cops caught smuggling contrabands into the New Bilibid Prison, saying during a press briefing that his boys did not commit any grave offense.
The 16 NCRPO men were temporarily assigned at the NBP to augment security forces while “kubols” in the maximum compound are being dismantled on orders of BUCOR Dir. Gen. Gerald Bantag.
NBP guards claim the cops were found to be in possession of cellular phones, tobaccos, and two liters of alcohol on their way inside the penitentiary gate. The said items are considered contraband by BUCOR, especially if they are brought inside the compound even for the cops’ personal use.
Sinas defended his men by saying they were caught to be in possession of the said items while still outside the premises of the NBP. He shamelessly contradicted BUCOR officials’ claim that the 16 policemen were frisked upon entering the NBP compound that day.
After being caught lying, Sinas retracted his statement the next day.
So perhaps that’s the reason: Sinas does not want the media to catch him lying again.