Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año stressed Tuesday that President Duterte gave newly appointed Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Debold Sinas the marching order to further intensify the country’s fight against illegal drugs and terrorism.

In an interview over ABS-CBN Teleradyo, Año noted that the President emphasized this during the command conference that started on Monday and lasted until 1 a.m. the following day.

Sinas who becomes the country’s 25th PNP chief was involved in the controversial mañanita (pre-dawn serenade) incident last May where the prohibition on mass gathering was violated when the whole of Luzon was then in a lockdown due to COVID-19.

Two months later, Sinas and his men hogged the headlines anew in the viral confrontation with the family of a retired officer when he ordered them to vacate the government compound in Taguig City.

Despite these controversies, Duterte stood by him and refused to replace him as chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

In an earlier live broadcast, Duterte said he will take full responsibility for his decision to retain Sinas as NCRPO chief even if critics remarked that the “law is the law”.

“Dapat i-set din niya yung standard sa performance, professionalism at discipline at dapat na every policeman counts at there must be no room for scalawags (He should set the standard for performance, professionalism and discipline with every policeman counts and there should be no room for scalawags),’’ Año said.

The DILG chief also explained that the pending case against Sinas and several other NCRPO officers has no implication to his appointment as PNP chief.

stressing further, Año said the complaint against Sinas is under preliminary investigation which has not reached the court and cannot be considered as a pending case.

He added that the complaint against Sinas’ group is for the violation of the “Bayanihan to Heal as One’’ and Taguig City ordinance. 

Sinas and 18 other police officers are facing charges before the Taguig Prosecutor’s Office for violating city ordinance no. 12 which requires the wearing of masks in public and Republic Act 11332 (the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act).

“Ang sabi nga natin ang Pangulo ang mayroong absolute discretion and authority to choose among the PNP generals kung sino ang magiging chief PNP at kanyang kapangyarihan yan. Hindi niya kailangan mag explain. Kapag sinabi niya my trust and confidence is with this person let's give that person a chance (Our President said that he has the absolute discretion and authority to choose among the PNP generals who will be chief PNP and that is his power. He does not need to explain. If he says that his trust and confidence is in that person let us give that person the chance),’’ he ended.