Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Tuesday newly installed PNP chief Police Major General Debold Sinas will have a clean slate despite his supposed quarantine violations during his controversial mañanita birthday in May.
“I don’t see that kind of reason, kasi nasa performance naman iyan ni General Sinas. Ngayong Philippine National Police chief na siya, clean slate siya ngayon. Nag-start na today as a chief PNP. Bagong slate na iyan. Walang kinalaman ang mga nakaraan. At ang sinabi natin isa lang ang may kapangyarihan: ang Presidente. Kapag inappoint na niya iyan, hindi na niya kailangan mag-explain kahit kanino,” Año told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview.
The new PNP chief is facing criminal and administrative complaints about his alleged quarantine violations at the height of a strict community quarantine.
Sinas already apologized for his supposed Mañanita, claiming some photos of the gathering that went viral were edited and were taken from old posts.
In July, the next PNP chief was also involved in another controversy when he allegedly threatened a family of a retired cop to move out of their home within the campgrounds.
Año: Sinas starts with clean slate as PNP chief
Meanwhile, Año said the fiscal would determine if the case of Sinas and 18 other police officers who attended the mañanita celebration would proceed to the court.)
“Iyong kaso ni General Sinas iyong sinasabi ng violation ng quarantine, inihain na ito sa proper forum, na-isampa na sa piskal. Iyong piskal magdedetermine sa probable cause para iakyat sa korte so may proseso doon,” Año said.
“Kung ano ilalabas doon kung ano iyong resulta doon, ibang usapin iyon. Sa ngayon, wala pa naman result iyan, hindi pa naman isang regular case sa court. Wala pang decision. Hindi mo pwedeng parusahan iyong tao sa isang bagay na hindi pa nagaganap so pabayaan muna natin tumakbo ang case na iyon. we will cross the bridge when we get there,” the DILG chief added.
“Sa ngayon, ako, bilang Department of [the] Interior and Local Government Secretary, I will give him a chance and let him come up with expectations of the people and expectations of the president,” he added.