Debold Menorias Sinas (born May 8, 1965) is a Filipino retired police
general
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
who served as
Chief of the Philippine National Police
The Chief of the Philippine National Police (abbreviated as C, PNP; Filipino: ''Hepe ng Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas'') is the head of the Philippines' national police body, the Philippine National Police (PNP). The position is invariably held b ...
(PNP) from November 2020 to May 2021.
[ During his tenure, he oversaw the ]COVID-19 community quarantines in the Philippines
COVID-19 community quarantines in the Philippines were series of stay-at-home orders and ''cordon sanitaire'' measures that have been implemented by the government of the Philippines through its Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emer ...
. However, he was also accused of violating the COVID-19 lockdown rules himself.
Sinas graduated from the Philippine Military Academy
The Philippine Military Academy ( fil, Akademiyang Militar ng Pilipinas / es, Academia Militar de Filipinas) also referred to by its acronym PMA is the premier military academy for Filipinos aspiring for a commission as a military officer of ...
(PMA) in 1987. He served as the police chief of Central Visayas
Central Visayas ( ceb, Tunga-tungang Kabisay-an; tl, Gitnang Kabisayaan) is an administrative region in the Philippines, numerically designated as Region VII. It consists of four provinces: (Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor) and thr ...
and Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...
before becoming chief of the PNP. After his retirement, he was appointed as an undersecretary to President Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
. Since July 2022, he is serving as Cebu City
Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas Regions of the P ...
's peace and order adviser.
Early life and education
Sinas was born on May 8, 1965, in Barangay Datu Silongan, in the city of Butuan
Butuan (pronounced ), officially the City of Butuan ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Butuan; Butuanon: ''Dakbayan hong Butuan''; fil, Lungsod ng Butuan), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the region of Caraga, Philippines. It is the ''de facto'' ca ...
, Agusan province, Philippines. He spent most of his teenage years in Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
due to his father's assignments as a military officer. At the encouragement of his father, he entered the Philippine Military Academy
The Philippine Military Academy ( fil, Akademiyang Militar ng Pilipinas / es, Academia Militar de Filipinas) also referred to by its acronym PMA is the premier military academy for Filipinos aspiring for a commission as a military officer of ...
(PMA), and graduated from the institution in 1987 as part of the ''Hinirang'' class. (Each year since 1967, the PMA assigns the graduating batch a unique honorific as verbal representation of the collective aspirations of the class. In 1987, the class were called ''Hinirang'' - which means "chosen" or "appointed ones"). Sinas told ''SunStar
''SunStar'' (also written as ''Sun Star''), stylized as SUNSTAR (formerly SUN•STAR), is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines. The newspaper is based in Cebu City
Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sug ...
Cebu'' in an interview that he joined the academy due to pressure from his father – he was warned that if he did not get in, he would not be accepted back home.
Career
Prior to serving as Central Visayas
Central Visayas ( ceb, Tunga-tungang Kabisay-an; tl, Gitnang Kabisayaan) is an administrative region in the Philippines, numerically designated as Region VII. It consists of four provinces: (Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor) and thr ...
police chief, Sinas served in the Police Regional Office 12 (PRO-12) as Deputy Regional Director for Administration and in Camp Crame
Camp General Rafael T. Crame () is the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP) located along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Quezon City. It is situated across EDSA from Camp Aguinaldo, the national headquarters of ...
as secretary to the Directorial Staff under the Office of the Chief Directorial Staff and later, director of the PNP Crime Laboratory. He was promoted to Police Chief Superintendent in April 2017.
Central Visayas chief
Sinas was police chief of the Philippine National Police's Police Regional Office 7 (PRO-7), which had jurisdiction over Central Visayas, for one year and four months. He worked under the office from July 2018 to October 2019. During his term at this post, Negros Oriental
Negros Oriental ( ceb, Sidlakang Negros; tl, Silangang Negros), officially the Province of Negros Oriental, is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. Its capital is the city of Dumaguete. It occupies the southeaste ...
, a province under his jurisdiction, was the subject of intense scrutiny due to the 2017–19 Negros Island killings which led to Sinas appearing at an August 2019 Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
hearing to explain the increased number of killings in the province. The Senate investigation determined that the police and military carried out most of the killings as part of its counter-insurgency operations against the communist New People’s Army, along with armed vigilante groups that targeted suspected communists and leftists.
Metro Manila chief
Sinas was reassigned to Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...
in October 2019. His appointment as chief of the National Capital Region Police Office
The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) is a division of the Philippine National Police (PNP) that has jurisdiction over Metro Manila, also known as the National Capital Region. It is headquartered in Camp Bagong Diwa.
History As PC ...
(NCRPO) was announced on October 10, 2019.[ and formally assumed the position on October 16, vowing to tackle illegal drugs, bribery, and gambling in Metro Manila. He succeeded Guillermo Eleazar, who was appointed as chief of the PNP Directorial Staff.
By November 2019, 143 police officers from Central Visayas were reassigned to Metro Manila police office. One of the transferred personnel was assigned as the office's intelligence officer, though Sinas did not enact other leadership changes at the time.
Sinas launched a ]biometrics
Biometrics are body measurements and calculations related to human characteristics. Biometric authentication (or realistic authentication) is used in computer science as a form of identification and access control. It is also used to identify in ...
system for the NCRPO on December 2, 2019 for accurate attendance monitoring of the police office's personnel.
Philippine National Police chief
On November 9, 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
announced that Sinas would be the next chief of Philippine National Police
The Philippine National Police ( fil, Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas, acronymed as PNP) is the armed national police force in the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Current ...
after the retirement of PNP Chief Camilo Cascolan
Camilo Pancratius "Pikoy" Pascua Cascolan (born November 10, 1964) is a Filipino retired law enforcement officer who served as the 24th Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP). He was the first Cordilleran to lead the country's national ...
. Sinas' tenure began the following day.
On 8 May 2021, Sinas celebrated his 56th birthday – the mandatory retirement age of police officers in the Philippines. Sinas’ 6-month watch as top cop was marred with controversies. He was succeeded by Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar as Philippine National Police chief.
Post-police career
On September 11, 2021, Executive Secretary
Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...
Salvador Medialdea
Salvador "Bingbong" Campo Medialdea (born October 14, 1951) is a Filipino lawyer, business executive and government administrator who served as the Executive Secretary of the Philippines, succeeding Paquito Ochoa Jr. at the start of President Ro ...
announced that Sinas was appointed undersecretary of the Office of the President Office of the President can refer to:
* Office of the President of Brazil
* Office of the President of the People's Republic of China (entity in the Office of the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party)
* Office of the President (Republi ...
.
On July 4, 2022, Cebu City
Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas Regions of the P ...
mayor Mike Rama
Michael Lopez Rama (born October 28, 1954) is a Filipino politician serving as Mayor of Cebu City since 2021, a position he previously held from 2010 to 2016. He served as the Vice Mayor of Cebu City from 2001 to 2010 and from 2019 to 2021, and ...
appointed Sinas to the Cebu City Advisory Board. He is to specialize on peace and order concerns.
Family and personal life
Sinas' father was a military officer born in Butuan
Butuan (pronounced ), officially the City of Butuan ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Butuan; Butuanon: ''Dakbayan hong Butuan''; fil, Lungsod ng Butuan), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the region of Caraga, Philippines. It is the ''de facto'' ca ...
, in the Caraga
Caraga, officially the Caraga Administrative Region (or simply known as Caraga Region) and designated as Region XIII, is an administrative region in the Philippines occupying the northeastern section of Mindanao. The region was created through ...
region of Mindanao island. Sinas' father had died before he graduated from the Philippine Military Academy
The Philippine Military Academy ( fil, Akademiyang Militar ng Pilipinas / es, Academia Militar de Filipinas) also referred to by its acronym PMA is the premier military academy for Filipinos aspiring for a commission as a military officer of ...
in 1987. He mentioned in an interview that he "pushed imselfto really graduate rom the PMAas a promise to isfather". Sinas has two children.[ He also mentioned in the same interview that his mother and widowed sister were living with his children.
]
''Voltes V''
Sinas' favorite show growing up was the Japanese anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
television series, ''Voltes V
, popularly known as simply ''Voltes V '' (pronounced as "Voltes Five") is a Japanese anime television series produced by Toei Dōga and animated by Nippon Sunrise (formerly known as Soeisha). It is the second installment of the '' Robot R ...
''. The show's theme song, "''Voltes V no Uta''" ("The Song of Voltes V"), has become a trademark for Sinas. The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7 where Sinas worked during 2018 to 2019) would play the theme song during ceremonies in the headquarters and even during police operations. When asked why the anime show was his favorite, Sinas said that "it embodied teamwork". During his stint as National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director (2019-2020), Sinas once again used the concept of ''Voltes V'' in terms of the different stakeholders—such as the police, the community, and government— "volting in" to achieve one goal.
On November 9, 2020, "NCRPO Fitness Team", a YouTube channel run by the National Capital Region Police office (NCRPO) where Sinas was stationed for almost a year in 2019–2020, uploaded a video featuring Sinas leading a four-minute workout routine to the ''Voltes V'' theme song.
Controversies and criticism
COVID-19 pandemic
Mañanita celebration
Sinas oversaw police response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Metro Manila
The COVID-19 pandemic in Metro Manila is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The virus reached Metro Manila on January 30, 2020, when the first case of ...
, one of the hardest hit regions of the pandemic. However, his stint as Metro Manila chief was marred by a controversy over the holding of a mañanita — an early morning birthday serenade — for his birthday on May 8, 2020, at Camp Bagong Diwa
Camp Bagong Diwa () is the headquarters of the National Capital Region Police Office, located in Lower Bicutan, Taguig, Philippines.
Functions
The camp serves many functions: within its gates are enclosed a police academy and the Taguig City Ja ...
. A mañanita is a tradition in the Philippine police force where personnel greet their senior officers during the early morning for their birthdays. The gathering was perceived negatively by the public, with the leadership of the Philippine National Police
The Philippine National Police ( fil, Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas, acronymed as PNP) is the armed national police force in the Philippines. Its national headquarters is located at Camp Crame in Bagong Lipunan ng Crame, Quezon City. Current ...
filing charges against Sinas and 18 other officers for violation of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act
The Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, also known as the Bayanihan Act, and officially designated as Republic Act No. 11469, is a law in the Philippines that was enacted in March 2020 granting the President of the Philippines, President additional aut ...
, particularly on provisions concerning social distancing
In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious disea ...
and mass gathering at the time. Although Sinas keeps his post due to the "emergency situation" concerning the pandemic, the police agency was concerned that his programs related to COVID-19 response might be disrupted. Sinas apologized for the event though he insisted that his office observed appropriate protocols.[ On May 20, President ]Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
decided against dismissing Sinas or transferring him to another post, vouching for his character believing that he was not at fault for being "serenaded" during his birthday.
Bypassing of Oriental Mindoro health protocol
Debold Sinas tested positive for COVID-19. The PNP made the announcement on 11 March 2021 on the day of his visit to Oriental Mindoro
Oriental Mindoro ( tl, Silangang Mindoro), officially the Province of Oriental Mindoro, is a province in the Philippines located on the island of Mindoro under Mimaropa region in Luzon, about southwest of Manila. The province is bordered by th ...
to attend a ceremonial COVID-19 vaccination for the local police force. A statement by the Oriental Mindoro provincial government said that Sinas did not go through the proper health screening since he entered Calapan
Calapan, officially the City of Calapan ( fil, Lungsod ng Calapan), is a 3rd class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of the Philippines, province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. Accor ...
via helicopter instead of entering the city through its seaport where passengers are screened for the disease.
Harassment accusation
On July 18, 2020, Sinas and other armed NCRPO officials were accused of harassment by the Delos Santos family, with the incident being filmed by a CCTV camera and the footage going viral online. The NCRPO were allegedly trying to evict the Delos Santos family from the property to build a quarantine facility for COVID-19 patients. Sinas explained that the property is owned by the PNP and Executive Master Sergeant Arnel Delos Santos was only allowed to live there temporarily with an agreement to vacate the property after his retirement in November 2018.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sinas, Debold
1965 births
Filipino police chiefs
People from Butuan
Philippine Military Academy alumni
Living people
Duterte administration personnel
People of the Philippine Drug War