Do we live in the real-life version of Black Mirror or something?
Major General Debold Sinas has been appointed as the new chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque announced today in his regular media briefing.
Sinas will replace the outgoing chief, General Camilo Cascolan, who will retire tomorrow. Sinas became controversial a few months ago when he hosted a birthday bash in May, 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 a senior officer is serenaded by his colleagues at the dawn of his birthday.
Read: A day after apologizing, Sinas insists nothing wrong with viral ‘mañanita’
Roque, as expected, defended President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to appoint Sinas to the highest PNP post. Sinas is currently the chief of the National Capital Region Police Office.
“Presidential appointments are really very executive in character. It is a prerogative of the President and he need not make any explanation for his appointment,” Roque said.
Read: Top Metro Manila cop denies hosting party, violating social distancing despite viral photos
“Nonetheless, the President looks at the track record of his appointee. The president has long been saying that PNP chief Sinas has contributed a lot to the war on drugs,” the spokesman said and added that Duterte wants Sinas to continue implementing the government’s anti-drug campaign.
Duterte has previously defended Sinas from his critics, and admitted that he did not want to terminate the cop over the mañanita controversy. He described Sinas as a “good” and “honest” officer.
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