Biazon defends Sinas' appointment as PNP chief

Muntinlupa City Representative Ruffy Biazon on Monday defended the appointment of Police Major General Debold Sinas as the next chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

"The President’s exercise of prerogative and authority to appoint the Chief of the Philippine National Police is enough to justify the appointment," Biazon said in a statement.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announced Sinas' appointment earlier in the day, replacing outgoing PNP chief Police General Camilo Cascolan who is set to retire on Tuesday.

Before his appointment, Sinas served as chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), although he became infamous over the mañanita held on May 8 to mark his birthday, which allegedly violated the ban on mass gatherings and the social distancing rules amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

But putting this aside, Biazon noted that he had a good working relationship with Sinas.

"I’ve had the chance to work with General Sinas at the NCRPO Regional Advisory Council and he showed commitment in pursuing the Performance Governance System (PGS) in the NCRPO," he said.

"He was proactive in ensuring that the NCRPO was not only compliant, but proficient. He had good rapport with the stakeholders as shown by the cooperation of the business community in the reform initiatives undertaken under the PGS," he added.

As to the mañanita issue for which Sinas is facing criminal charges, Biazon said: "He would just have to show that he has learned a lesson from the lapse by giving an excellent performance as CPNP."

Roque pointed out that Sinas' appointment as PNP chief will not absolve him of liability over the mañanita incident.

“I don’t think so po. That’s not how our laws operate," Roque said. — DVM, GMA News