Shortly after his appointment as chief of the Philippine National Police, Police General Debold Sinas led the change of command ceremony at the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).
Taking on Sinas’ vacated post as Acting NCRPO Regional Director is Police Brigadier General Vicente Danao Junior who used to lead the PNP-CALABARZON. The top cop personally recommended Danao to replace him as NCRPO chief
PBGen. Danao is not new to the responsibilities covering Metro Manila as he headed the Manila Police District (MPD) just last year.
The general is also a known close ally of President Rodrigo Road Duterte since he served as Davao City Police Chief during the president’s stint as mayor of the same city from 2013 to 2016.
PBGen. Danao is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Sambisig Class of 1991.
In his first encounter with the media as PNP chief, Sinas admitted he was surprised that the President chose him.
“Ma-designate ka o ma-appoint ka as chief PNP, hindi po namin alam ‘yun. Maski pa sabi-sabihin diyan ikaw na, ikaw na, hindi po ‘yun. It’s only the president who knows kung sino po i-appoint niya. (Being designated or appointed as chief PNP, we do not know anything about it. Even if they say that you are the one, that is not it. The president alone knows whom he appoints.) I’m very happy I was the one appointed.” PGen. Debold Sinas mused.
Sinas’ appointment was met with criticism given the controversy he got embroiled in after his men organized a ‘mañanita’ on his birthday when Metro Manila was under Enhanced Community Quarantine. He is leaving the investigation up to the prosecutor to determine whether or not he violated the quarantine protocol.
While hoping for the ‘mañanita’ controversy to end, the police chief said he would rather focus on his work than waste his time answering critics. In line with the President’s directive to pursue the campaign against illegal drugs, Sinas intends to adopt the same strategy he employed during his stint as NCRPO Chief, that is, close coordination with police stations in going after drug personalities.
“Yung mga operatiba natin maski nasa istasyon hindi po humihinto sa pagsunod, kung kailangan lumabas sila sa area nila dahil sinusundan nila ‘yung target. Ginagawa po. Nagpapaalam lang po nang tama at nag-coordinate po properly para wala pong inggitan at miscoordinations (Our operatives may be in their respective stations but they do not stop in following orders to go out to their areas and do target surveillance. They do it. With proper information and coordination, jealousy and miscoordinations will be avoided,” he laid out.
The PNP’s campaign against illegal drugs also includes purging the ranks. In one year running the NCRPO, 18 cops were caught using contraband after random drug testing was conducted regularly.
There is no reshuffle in sight among the ranks of the PNP except for posts that need to be filled up. – Report by Patrick de Jesus
