THE controversial police general behind the mañanita party last year will not be around beyond his 56th birthday on May 8, says a highly-placed source, who dismissed the possibility of national police chief Debold Sinas’s term being extended.
However, Philippine National Police (PNP) deputy-director general Guillermo Eleazar will have to work harder to assume the position that would be left behind by Sinas as two other police generals are reportedly working hard to earn the spot, the way Sinas did in getting past other senior officers.
Sinas is facing charges over the controversial mañanita party inside the Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, at a time Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon was under the most stringent lockdown level strictly prohibiting any form of gathering. Sinas then was the Metro Manila police chief.
Aside from Eleazar, PNP Deputy Chief for Operations Lieutenant General Joselito Vera Cruz, and PNP Chief for Directorial Staff Lieutenant General Israel Ephraim Dickson are being considered to replace the retiring Sinas.
Interestingly, Eleazar, who also heads the PNP Joint Task Force COVID Shield, has been bypassed thrice with the appointment of former PNP chief Archie Gamboa who replaced General Oscar Albayalde after being dragged into the issue of recycling of seized illegal drugs back into the market, then by former PNP chief Camilo Cascolan and finally by Sinas who was picked to assume the post in view of a recommendation of another retired general known to be extremely close to President Rodrigo Duterte.
Insiders claimed that the President has already made a choice and will announce it himself before May 8 this year.