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CEBU CITY – There was nothing new about how the chief general of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), Major General Debold Sinas, celebrated his birthday this year.
Police officers also gave him an “early morning” or an early morning serenade in his rooms at PC Hills in Barangay Apas, Cebu City during his birthday in May last year.
Sinas was director of the Visayas Central Police from July 2018 to October 2019 before being assigned to the National Capital Region Police Office.
During the morning of her senior year, Sinas also received a cake while the policemen sang songs to her.
The “morning” was followed by a buffet breakfast attended by police officers, their staff and heads of different police stations, said broadcast journalist Arnold Bustamante, president of the PNP Defense Press Corps (DEPP), a group of police beat reporters in Cebu.
“During his period here, there was only one morning and one breakfast to celebrate his birthday,” Bustamante told INQUIRER by phone.
During his birthday in 2019 they served puto (steamed cake), mangoes, native sikwate (hot chocolate) and pancit, among others.
“He doesn’t want a big celebration to celebrate his birthday,” said Bustamante.
“The only difference between their previous birthdays and this year’s celebration was that there is an Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in Metro Manila,” he added.
On May 8, NCRPO police officers held a surprise party to celebrate Sinas’ 55th birthday.
They gave a “morning” for Sinas, violating the government’s ban on mass meetings and physical distancing to stop the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19).
The photos of the celebration were posted on the official NCRPO Facebook account, but were removed from the page on Wednesday, May 13.
Sinas has issued a public apology, saying it was never his intention to disobey existing health protocols to stop the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
He, however, insisted that they “followed protocols.”
The head of the Philippine National Police, General Archie Gamboa, ordered an internal investigation into Sinas’ birthday celebration.
Cebuano police officers were shocked by the recent controversy involving Sinas, who was once the chief Visayas Central police officer.
“Dili lang my mo-comment ana. (We just won’t comment on that), “said a police officer who requested anonymity. Other police officers also declined to issue any reaction to Sinas’s alleged failure to observe COVID-19 health protocols when NCRPO police officers gave him a birthday last May 8.
Sinas served as the chief police officer for the Central Visayas Police based in Cebu City from July 2018 to October 2019 before being appointed head of the NCRPO.
Before becoming the Visayas Central Regional Police Director, he was Director of the Crime Laboratory and Secretary of Management Staff at Camp Crame.
Sinas, a native of Butuan City, is a lotmate in the Philippine Military Academy of former NCRPO chief and deputy director of operations of the Philippine National Police, General Guillermo Eleazar. Both graduated from the Hinirang class of 1987.
JPV
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