CHIEF Supt. Debold Sinas is one of the busiest men in Central Visayas.

For the regional director of the thousand-strong Police Regional Office (PRO) 7, Sinas wakes up at 5:30 in the morning and checks reports from his men on the field.

“Sometimes, I get one or two hours of sleep. For One Time Big Time operations, I monitor them all day para di ko mabulaga og naay mahitabo (so I won’t be surprised if something happens),” Sinas, 53, told SunStar Cebu.

As a son of a military officer who was born in Butuan City, Sinas said most of his teenage years were spent in Mindanao because of his father’s assignments.

His father was the one who told him to enroll in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

“Siyempre akong Papa, patay na, pero ana siya nga pag mosulod ka’g academy, ‘Ayaw gud huna-huna’g balik kay di naka nako dawaton (Of course, my father is already dead, but he told me that if I get into the academy, ‘Don’t ever think about going back because I will not accept you). So I pushed myself to really graduate as a promise to my father,” he said.

Sinas belonged to the PMA Hinirang Class of 1987.

When he was still a junior officer, he said that he always observed the different brands of leadership from his seniors.

Because of this, Sinas said he honed his own brand and developed it into what it is today.

“I tend more on consultations and discussions before any major decision is made. I prefer more the consultative approach, but of course the decision is mine. I don’t usually transfer responsibility. I prefer my people to work so I seek their guidance,” he said.

Talking to his men before an operation is vital, and more often than not, it is advantageous to the troops.

“Sometimes, we have to trust our own people. We have to really trust them because our life depends on them. Not informing them of the right information on the situation is very deadly for me,” he said.

An ideal police officer for him is a God-fearing family man who strives to not only give service to the public but to his family as well.

“A police officer should be a good family man because the more that the police has a family to support, the more siya nga di matintal sa mga dautan o illegal (he will not be tempted to do something bad or illegal),” he said.

Despite his packed schedule, Sinas said he makes sure that he gets to spend some quality time with his family. But for their protection, he keeps it low-key.

“I have two children. My mother and my widowed sister are living with them. I stayed with them for some quality family time when I was in Camp Crame. Once in a while, I bring them here, although low-key lang gud because of our work,” he said.

Even if he is often viewed as strict and outspoken, the PRO 7 director also highlights the importance of stress debriefing among his men, especially those who underwent traumatic experiences in the line of duty.

“Here, I’m focused on operations as well as the morale and welfare of our men. Stress debriefing is one of our best practices. I believe traumatic experiences will develop later on, so debriefings are really needed,” he said.

But how does he handle the criticisms from the public and even from local government officials?

“Let them express their ideas and comments. That is their right. We’ll just observe and take note of the good and bad comments that might affect our decisions and talk it out with those concerned,” he said.

Even the regional director is not spared from stress so he sometimes goes to the gym and enjoys some ‘80s and ‘90s blues as well as OPM (Original Pilipino Music).

But his trademark is the opening song of his favorite Japanese animation, “Voltes V,” which the PRO 7 band plays during ceremonies in the regional headquarters and even during greyhound operations.

“When I was a kid, that was my favorite, and when I became an officer, it embodied teamwork. So (like) Voltes V, tanan ta mo-volt in, mo-align ta. Though we differ in personalities and beliefs, we have a common goal. To serve the public and accomplish our mission,” he said.

His message to the men and women of PRO 7?

“Follow the existing policies. I want you to be proud of being a policeman. Be resourceful and be honest to yourselves. And always love yourself and the other people around you.”