NCRPO chief hit for 'double standard' after throwing birthday party during ECQ

MANILA, Philippines (Updated, 6:10 p.m.) — Owing to a ban on mass gatherings, the Internal Affairs Service of the national police has been ordered to investigate the birthday celebration held by the director of Metro Manila police after the chief of the national police and his spokesperson both denied that it happened, but also that it violated any rules. 

Outrage resounded on social media after Police Brig. Gen. Archie Gamboa, PNP chief, denied Tuesday afternoon that any violations were committed on the part of Police Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas after the latter threw a birthday party despite clear laws banning mass gatherings. 

This came days after the celebration of Sinas, who currently sits as the director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), was thoroughly documented in a post published on the official Facebook page of Metro Manila police's public information office. 

Despite the photographs posted by the NCRPO showing otherwise, the country's top cop firmly denied the notion that the event violated social distancing rules. 

“Walang party nangyari, ang sabi ni General Sinas. Probably nagkaroon ng mañanita,” Gamboa said during a virtual press briefing.

(No party happened, is what Gen. Sinas said. Probably they just had a mañanita.)

As of Wednesday morning, the post has since been taken down. 

'Double standard' 

As early as his community quarantine declaration in March, President Rodrigo Duterte himself said in a public address that: “Mass gatherings, defined as a planned or spontaneous event where the number of people attending could strain the planning and response resources of the community hosting the event, shall be prohibited during the said period."

Even in areas under newly-declared General Community Quarantine, officials have maintained that the minimum public health standard shall be enforced all throughout the duration of the GCQ.

Yet speaking in an interview with OneNews' "The Chiefs", Sinas denied allegations that a party happened, saying that his personnel paid him an unannounced visit.

"Actually hindi po kami nag party, wala po'ng nag-party. Mga well wishers ko po 'yon diba. 'Yung mga tauhan ko po na dumalaw, nag-mañanita... siyempre tatanggapin ko 'yon," he said. 

"At tsaka nagma-mask naman sila, naka gloves pa 'yung iba at tsaka nag social distancing, yung iba nagpi-picture, so ganon po talaga 'yon."

"Mga before magtanghali, dumalaw 'yung bawat opisina, nagbigay ng cake, tinanggap ko po. Wala po akong party. In fact, sa araw na 'yon busy rin kami sa pagmo-monitor at pagbibigay ng relief goods... Ang mga pagkain nila ay packed lunch po," he added. 

(Actually we didn't party, none of us parties. Those were my well-wishers. My people just passed by to greet me, of course I'd accept that. And anyway, they were wearing masks and gloves and observed social distancing. The others took pictures. That's it. Before noon, each office passed by, gave cake which I accepted. I did not have a party. In fact, on that day we were busy monitoring and giving relief goods... the food they brought was packed lunch.)

Even Interior Secretary Eduardo Año was quick to come to Sinas' defense: at a presser Wednesday, he was quoted as saying, "The so-called gathering during the birthday of NCRPO chief Director Debold Sinas is called a mañanita, a tradition among top police officials. It is not deliberate partying, but it is uncalled for during this time."

'Apparent exemption' from the law

In a statement issued Wednesday morning, Bayan Muna solon Ferdinand Gaite slammed what he said was Sinas' immunity from lockdown rules. 

"Aren't they ashamed of themselves? First, they were insensitive enough to have a huge birthday party amidst the lockdown. Second, they had the audacity to flaunt it in official social media pages of the PNP, putting in full display their apparent exemption from several lockdown measures including social distancing and prohibition of mass gatherings," said Gaite. 

Despite the clear stipulations in the law, a number of cases involving high profile officials have slipped through the cracks without any penalties. 

For instance, Deputy Administrator Mocha Uson of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) drew flack for gathering scores of OFWs, who were by default obligated to observe a mandatory 14-day quarantine, at an event in Batangas City.

The Palace has said it would rather stay out of the issue. 

While the government persecutes the poor and those who stand in defense of human rights, Duterte’s allies are exempted from the application of the so-called “rule of law,” even if they obviously committed violations. #FreePoliticalPrisonersPH #SetThemFree pic.twitter.com/9UgM1e6gKo

— Karapatan (@karapatan) May 13, 2020

Meanwhile, others who held Labor Day pickets but were practicing social distancing and wearing face masks and shields have been arrested for the same reason. 

Two ranking members of labor group Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino were arrested by the police for allegedly breaking enhanced quarantine rules on distancing—only to be later thrown into in a cramped detention cell in San Jose police station where social distancing was not physically possible.

"While relief volunteers are quickly arrested and detained for merely distributing food to poor families, PNP Chief Archie Gamboa was quick to cover up his general's violations and cleared him for any accountability," Gaite said.

"They can call it what they like, but it was evidently a party, and there were clear violations. Their own photos attest to this."

(Editor's note: This article has been updated to remove references to police officers drinking beer as it is unclear if a photo showing Sinas and other officers posing with cans of beer is from the same event. The photo was not among the ones posted by the National Capital Region Police Office on its Facebook page)

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