POLICE Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Debold Sinas was charged by three activists before the Ombudsman on Friday morning, March 15.
The complaint stemmed from the police official’s alleged order to play the theme song of the Japanese anime Voltes V, while protesters held a rally outside the PRO 7 headquarters in Cebu City to commemorate the 33rd anniversary of the Edsa People Power Revolution.
Sinas is a fan of the anime, which was famous in the 1970s.
The music blaring from PRO 7 loudspeakers disrupted the militants’ assembly.
Complainants Phoebe Zoe Maria Sanchez of Karapatan, Jaime Paglinawan of Bayan and John Ruiz III of Bayan Muna charged Sinas with serious misconduct, grave abuse of authority or oppression, conduct unbecoming of a public officer and discourtesy in the conduct of official duties.
He was also charged with violating Republic Act 7613, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
Regional Intelligence Division Remus Medina and several John Does were also named respondents in the complaint-affidavit, which will be handled by the Office of the Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices.
“The flow of command and directive leading to the playing of loud music was revealed by respondent police officers during an interview with the media wherein respondent (Sinas) ‘defended the move of his personnel to play the theme song (of) ‘Voltes V’,” a portion of complaint read.
Sinas vowed that if more protesters will hold a rally at the PRO 7, “he will not hesitate to use the sound system again,” according to the complainants, quoting a SunStar Cebu report.
Sanchez reminded the police officers that it was the Edsa revolution anniversary, but the song was not stopped.
The complainants said they charged the police officials because they wanted to “assert and reclaim” their “right to peacefully assemble and protest.”
“We cannot allow anyone, more so police officers who are supposed to be the protector of the people and forerunner of law and order, to trample on the people’s basic rights of free speech and of assembly,” the complaint read.
Sanchez, Paglinawan and Ruiz stated that the “police officers’ twisted argument that since we have the right to speak, they also have the right not to listen only” showed their “gross ignorance of the law and of their duties.” KAL