Outgoing Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Camilo Cascolan defended Major General Debold Sinas today from critics who have said that the latter is underserving of becoming the new chief due to his involvement in the mañanita controversy.
Sinas is set to replace the retiring Cascolan today after the former’s appointment was announced by Malacañang Palace yesterday. President Rodrigo Duterte chose Sinas despite hosting a controversial party a few months ago, around the time Metro Manila was under the enhanced community quarantine, which prohibited any form of mass gatherings.
The party, called a mañanita, is a military and police tradition where colleagues serenade a senior officer at the dawn of his birthday. Sinas had apologized for hosting the event but insisted that there was really nothing wrong with it.
Read: Party Time? Sinas appointed new police chief despite ‘mañanita’ controversy
Cascolan told cable channel ANC that while Sinas may have done wrong, he has contributed to the police force.
“There were a lot of things he did, maybe there were some shortcomings, but generally he has done good too,” Cascolan said.
He said that he was not aware of the development of the cases filed against Sinas. Sinas, along with 18 other cops, are facing criminal and administrative charges for hosting the mañanita.
“I don’t know; I’m not privy to the case actually. I have not followed-it up… but let him explain,” he said.
The outgoing chief also dismissed talk that Duterte ignored the succession line by appointing Cascolan to the top post. Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar is the second-highest-ranking officer in the PNP, followed by Lieutenant General Cesar Hawthorne Binag and Major General Joselito Vera Cruz.
Read: Top Metro Manila cop denies hosting party, violating social distancing despite viral photos
“At this point, it’s not important considering that they are both classmates… They deal with each other professionally, at the same time, they are classmates, they respect each other, they are friends with each other,” Cascolan said about Eleazar and Sinas.
“Well, it may have some questions, but with this in hand, both are classmates. They know for a fact that the leadership is in good hands,” he added.
Duterte has previously defended Sinas from his critics and admitted that he did not want to terminate the cop over the mañanita controversy, describing the cop as a “good” and “honest” officer.
The president wants Sinas to continue implementing the government’s anti-drug campaign, his spokesman Harry Roque said yesterday.
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