Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Debold Sinas has tested positive for COVID-19, the police force announced yesterday, and Filipinos are amused at how the tides have turned.
Read: A day after apologizing, Sinas insists nothing wrong with viral ‘mañanita’
In a statement released to the media, Sinas said he received the results of his swab test yesterday morning when he was in Mindoro. Before that, all of his swab tests appeared negative. Upon learning that he was ill, the police chief decided to immediately return to Metro Manila.
While he is asymptomatic, Sinas has taken a break from work, and in his absence, Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar will be taking over as the officer in charge (OIC) of the police force.
“As OIC PNP, I will be taking over the affairs of the PNP temporarily and until such time that our Chief PNP fully recovers,” Eleazar said in a statement.
Sinas was the same cop who was caught breaking quarantine rules last year by attending a birthday party organized by his men. But he doesn’t call it a “party.” He called it a mañanita, which is a military and police tradition where a senior officer is serenaded by his colleagues at the dawn of his birthday.
Read: Calbayog City mayor died from police shootout, not ambushed, says Sinas
But that’s beside the point. People were peeved that the event was organized at all, at a time when most places in the Philippines were under the most draconian quarantine rules.
So, by testing positive of COVID, a lot of Pinoys feel that Sinas has finally gotten his comeuppance. “Debold Sinas eating his own cake. This time without his sense of taste,” tweeted @JohnBugcat, who even attached a photo of Sinas having fun in his viral party.
Debold sinas eating his own cake. This time without panlasa. pic.twitter.com/erRewdqXAQ
— Papa John’s Bugcat (@JohnBugcat) March 11, 2021
User @hecklerforever8 wrote, “Well played coronavirus, well played.”
As if to mark the first anniversary of the longest lockdown in the world, the chief of police who escaped punishment (rewarded even) for violating quarantine rules last year has contracted COVID19.
Well played coronavirus, well played.
— The Professional Heckler (@hecklerforever8) March 12, 2021
Some people, however, believe that this was Sinas’ way of avoiding the media amid a slew of controversies, including the death of several activists and Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino at the hands of the police. Of course, these are all just assumptions.
Get well soon, General Sinas.
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