IAS chief: Duterte defending Sinas has no effect on criminal, admin raps

The criminal complaint lodged against Police Major General Debold Sinas would push through amid President Rodrigo Duterte defending the Metro Manila's top policeman, Internal Affairs Service Inspector General Attorney Alfegar Triambulo said Wednesday.

Triambulo believes that the President's remark on Sinas' case has no implication with the criminal and administrative complaints filed against the cop. He said the President did not even order not to file charges against Sinas.

"Wala naman... 'Yung sa criminal, tutuloy naman 'yun eh, ewan ko sa piskal kung ano ang nangyari, malaman din natin sa piskal... Kasi sabi niya, kung the law is the law eh di tuloy 'yung mga kaso pero siguro for the meantime... puwede ka namang manatili diyan hanggang walang conviction," Triambulo said in a phone interview with GMA News Online.

"Wala naman siyang sinabing hindi kakasuhan, sinabi lang naman niya na nandiyan lang... maganda din naman performance, medyo istrikto si Sinas kaya hayaan mo lang penalty sa kaniya, iimpose. Kaya sabi niya 'the law is the law,'" he added.

"Gumugulong pa 'yung mga kaso kasi may mga presumption of innocence 'yan kaya siguro ganyan," Triambulo said.

Investigation report

Triambulo also said Duterte could have not seen yet the investigation report which IAS sent to the office of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea last Monday.

"Baka hindi pa nakarating sa kaniya... kasi kung magbigay naman ng clearance, malaman natin na nabasa niya 'yun. Baka ano lang niya 'yun para di masira 'yung pag-implement [ng quarantine] habang di pa nakarating sa kaniya 'yung papel para aksyunan niya," Triambulo said.

The Chief Executive has defended Sinas following the controversial mañanita of the Metro Manila's top cop last May 8.

Duterte said Sinas is a good and honest cop, adding that it was not the latter's fault if his subordinates had surprised him during his birthday. He said Sinas will stay on as NCRPO chief.

"Sabihin mo the law is the law well... akin na yun. He stays there," Duterte said.

Law not fair to all

In reaction to Duterte's "defense" of Sinas, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan secretary general Renato Reyes claimed that Duterte just showed that the law in the country is not fair to all.

"Sa kaniyang pag-arbor kay General Sinas, ipinakita ng Pangulo na walang pananagutan basta nasa kapangyarihan," Reyes said in a statement.

"Muli na namang ipinamukha sa taong bayan kung gaano ka-hindi  pantay ang lipunan. Iba ang batas ng nasa poder sa batas ng mahihirap. Patunay lang na bulok at mapaniil ang sistemang umiiral sa bansa ngayon," he added.

Reyes said cases of abuses among law enforcers could increase due to Duterte's pronouncement.

Sinas drew flak over his birthday celebration amid the enforcement of the enhanced community quarantine being strictly implemented by police. Photos, initially uploaded by the NCRPO's Public Information Office, showed that the police officers allegedly violated the protocols on social distancing in this time of quarantine.

The NCRPO chief has since apologized over the incident, even as he claimed that some of the photos that circulated online were edited and grabbed from old posts.

Sinas and 18 other police officers are accused of violating Republic Act No. 11332 or the law on the mandatory reporting of notifiable diseases and health events of public concern as well as of violating Taguig City's ordinance requiring the wearing of face masks and physical distancing.

The complaint was filed before the Taguig Prosecutor's Office last week.

Aside from the criminal charges, the PNP-IAS also noted that Sinas' mañanita had constituted the administrative offenses of less grave neglect of duty as well as less grave misconduct. — RSJ, GMA News