After drawing the public's ire earlier this year for violating COVID-19 safety protocols, a local police chief was named by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte as the new chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Maj. General Debold Sinas was previously the chief of police of the Philippines' National Capital Region. On Monday, Harry Roque, Duterte's spokesman, announced his new appointment as the national chief of police.
Back in May, Sinas became viral in the Philippines. He even drew attention worldwide after he and several other police officers were photographed during his birthday celebration, where people were not wearing masks and were not practicing social distancing. The party which violated quarantine protocols imposed during that time was held in a Manila police headquarters amid a COVID-19 lockdown, The New York Times reported.
After the party drew attention, Sinas and those who were present were investigated. A step that the government claimed, at that time, as proof that it is committed to punishing wrongdoers, even those in office.
Six months after the event, Sinas was promoted as the new PNP chief causing negative reactions from the Filipino public.
Meanwhile, Roque defended the general and said that it was due to the role that he played in the success of President Duterte's controversial "War on Drugs." The said drug war has killed thousands of lives since Duterte was sworn into office in 2016.
"Let's give him a chance," said Roque.
The Philippines currently holds one of the highest COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia, coming close to 400,000 infections. More than 7,600 people have already succumbed to the disease.
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Move On
In a report by Sun Star Manila, it was noted that on Wednesday, Sinas had asked the public to move on from the events of May.
The new national police chief stated that the issue was a thing of the past and emphasized several police officers have already been charged.
He also added that if people trust him; and just forget the birthday celebration issue, they would see what the police have been doing.
He also addressed his critics and said that there is nothing he could do if they believed the issues, emphasizing that it would only be a waste of his time to respond to all of the criticisms.
Sinas then explained his plans for the police force as he steps into his new position. He stated that he plans to deploy more police officers on the streets and strengthen the country's police stations.
Moreover, he noted that the PNP already has good policies imposed, and he would continue where they left off and implement the plans.
Walk the Talk
Meanwhile, the quarantine violator-turned-national police chief also vowed that the police would "walk the talk" as they implement reforms in the police force, the continuation of the war on drugs, and ending corruption, criminality, and abuse of power, Journal Online reported.
Sinas, however, will not be staying long in office as he will be required to retire next May as he turns 56.
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