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'Too busy?' Gordon, Bato lament absence of Sinas in Senate probe on spate of killings
By DONA MAGSINO, GMA News Senator Richard Gordon on Thursday lectured the representative sent by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Debold Sinas in a Senate hearing on the spate of killings in the country.
During the roll call of resource persons, the secretariat of the Senate committee on justice and human rights said they sent an invitation to Sinas' office but "there was no reply."
Nonetheless, Gordon was informed that the PNP was represented by Police Major General Marni Marcos Jr., director of the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management.
"I'm representing Gen. Sinas because he's attending other activities, your honor," Marcos said as he introduced himself.
This quite irked Gordon as he got the impression that the Senate inquiry was not prioritized by the PNP chief.
"You know, the Senate is the forum of the people. When we invite that should be taken seriously... and when you say very cavalierly that he's attending other meetings as if the Senate is not important, the investigation is not important, hindi ako nagpapaimportante dito," the senator said.
Marcos explained that Sinas' office took note of the invitation and instructed him to make the representation for the PNP.
"You're already there. I'm just talking about Gen Sinas. If you're representing him, you're not making a good representation because you just made a representation to make it appear that he's too busy for the Senate of the Republic of the Philippines," Gordon said.
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"When you start saying 'I cannot answer the question because I have no knowledge,' then we're all in trouble," Gordon said.
During the short exchange, the senator reiterated that there is a revolving door in the PNP leadership.
"Generals serve for, sometimes, less than a year. In the case of General Sinas, he'll be gone in about April so he would have lasted only six to 11 months," Gordon said.
"I can tell it that there are six generals from the class of '86 that have served in various times very, very briefly so there is really no continuity or sustainability in the efforts of peace and order," he added.
Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, a former PNP chief, also lamented the absence of Sinas in the hearing, saying the latter should have sent at least a deputy three-star general.
"Siguro itong si Gen. Marcos, you've been witness, when I was the chief PNP, 'di talaga ako nag-aabsent ng Senate hearing 'di ba? Pag ako'y pinatawag ng Senate hearing dala-dala ko pa ang buong command group ko at saka aking directorial staff," he said.
Marcos committed to relay the sentiments of the senators to the PNP leadership.
More than an hour after the inquiry started, Sinas and his command group appeared before the joint committees of justice, peace and order, and finance via teleconference. He apologized for not being able to appear earlier.
The hearing led by Gordon focuses on the series of killings in the country in the past months.—AOL, GMA News