Embattled Metro Manila police chief Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas and 18 subordinates were charged Friday for staging a birthday blowout exactly a week earlier despite strict quarantine rules during the nearly two-month lockdown, the Philippine National Police said.
READ: Sinas, party-goers in hot water
The PNP’s Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAS) filed criminal charges before the Taguig City Prosecutor’s Office against Sinas and his colleagues, who surprised him with a “mañanita” feast—also called early morning serenade—on May 8 to honor the National Capital Region Police Office chief.
Malacañang said the possible suspension or even dismissal from service of Sinas, third-level officer and considered a presidential appointee, would be decided once an administrative case had been lodged against him.
“The decision to relieve him (Sinas), to suspend him, or to dismiss him is part of the administrative case,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a television interview.
The accused are charged with not following quarantine rules under Republic Act 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act.
The PNP-IAS said the “mañanita” was a tradition in the national police command which would fall under mass gathering, banned in the national capital region because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The PNP has been tasked to man checkpoints where the lockdown is in force and arrest people – not in essential services – outside their homes without quarantine passes as well as those said to be violating physical distancing protocols.
Roque reiterated that Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea had directed the PNP-IAS to send him a copy of the results of its probe regarding the Sinas’ birthday gathering.
Roque said the results of the PNP-IAS investigation would determine whether there was a need to file an administrative case against Sinas.
“Malacañang, through the Office of the Executive Secretary, has gone out of its way, to demand from the IAS the results of its investigation so they can decide whether or not administrative charges should be filed against Gen. Sinas,” he said.
There is a need for clearance from the Office of the President should an administrative case be filed against Sinas.
“They will have to get Malacañang’s clearance before an administrative case can be filed against Gen. Sinas,” he said.
Photos showing a group of cops giving roses to Sinas and having him blow candles on his cake for his birthday bash have earned the ire of netizens.
Asked if Sinas would be temporarily relieved from his post pending the results of the investigation, Roque said, “I have no information, as of yet.”
Sinas has since apologized but said some of the pictures circulating on social media were edited and grabbed from old posts.
READ: Criminal, administrative cases readied vs Sinas, party-goers