Sinas admits there are still scalawags in PRO-7

CEBU, Philippines — There are still several policemen in the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) who are involved in illegal activities.

This was admitted by PRO-7 Director Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas during the 48th Cebu Press-Citizens Council (CPCC) quarterly meeting last Thursday where he was invited as the keynote speaker.

"Yes, there are still a lot of policemen involved in illegal activities, but we are monitoring them," he said.

Sinas, however, refused to divulge the exact number of erring policemen who are being monitored.

This was not the first time that Sinas admitted the presence of erring cops.

It can be recalled that in August, President Rodrigo Duterte, during his speech at the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) held in one of the hotels in the North Reclamation Area, tagged Cebu cops as “addicts” including personnel from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

Sinas had said they are doing corrective measures and if there will be reports that he is receiving bribe money, he will step down as director and get out of the region immediately.

"If anybody of you will pinpoint nga kana si General Sinas nagdawat na of protection money  in drugs, in illegal gambling and smuggling and any politicians right there and then I will get out of Cebu," Sinas said.

He said that since he assumed post as PRO-7 director, he enforced the rule that the command group should not accept any form of "gifts."

"I told my staff nga ayaw gyud mo of dawat kay tanggalon gyud tika. We have to lead by example,"  he said. (FREEMAN)