MANILA, Philippines – National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Police Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas on Tuesday, 05 November 2019, debunked the claims by some quarters as he is accordingly anti-media even as he booted police reporters out from their office of around three decades in Kamuning, Quezon City, Station 10 shortly after assuming office middle of October.
In an interview, Sinas told ANC’s Headstart: “Hindi po ako (I’m not) anti-media, I have never been and I will never be. When I went there (Station 10), I told them whose areas was this? They said ‘it’s yours, sir. So could I get it? I talked to them, the press corps president and secretary if I could use it,” Sinas explained referring to the sudden transfer of the Press Corps office to another at Station 10.
Sinas also offered police reporters an office in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City but the working media did not show any interest because of traffic and distance.
And when he allegedly called a press briefing at his headquarters in Bicutan, Taguig Sinas claimed reporters only told him that they were not coming, which was later perceived to be a show of protest by the media against him.
Following his assumption of office last October 16, 2019, Sinas further explained that he was unable to accommodate reporters during his first two weeks because he had “to settle in, talk to his people, and get instructions from the Philippine National Police Officer-in-Charge Archie Gamboa.
When asked for comment on why he was misunderstood, Sinas said: “I don’t know, I’ll leave it to their opinion.”
He also added: “Mahirap makipag-away sa opinion eh (It’s hard to fight against an opinion). How I wish I could convince them of my sincerity but sincerity and respect are earned.”
Before his appointment, Sinas served as director of the Central Visayas police for 16 months during which some 10,000 drug operations were allegedly held and resulted in 135 deaths.
His office also confiscated 189 kilograms of shabu and 485 kilograms of cannabis as regional director.
It was also under the watch of Sinas that Negros Oriental saw a rash of killings related to the New People’s Army movement. (Marian Andrei Sinamban/IAMIGO/CNS)
