The appointment of former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Debold Sinas as undersecretary at the Office of the President, although not surprising considering Duterte’s penchant to fill government positions with retired military or police officials known for their records of grave human rights abuses, desecrates the memories of the victims of massacres and other killings in Negros Island three years ago.

It should not be forgotten that Gen. Sinas was responsible for the gruesome murders of civilians in Negros Oriental during his stint as Central Visayas police chief in 2018-2019.

He led the bloody anti-insurgency campaigns Oplan Sauron 1 & 2 and Oplan Branstark as part of the Synchronized Enhanced Managing of Police Operations (SEMPO) that resulted in the mass murders of 37 unarmed farmers and personalities like barangay captains, city councilors, an ex-mayor, DepEd educators and officials and lawyers.

In Southeast Negros, among the most brutal of these Sinas-led killing spree was the cold-blooded murder of peasant and transport leader Franklin Lariosa by masked policemen in front of his family including his then 4-year old youngest child at Sitio Omol, Barangay Talalac, Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental during Oplan Sauron 2 on March 29, 2019.

Another is the massacre of the Ocampo family in Barangay San Jose, Sta. Catalina that resulted in the death of 1-year old Marjun and his father. His mother barely survived. On July 26, 2019, men in camouflage uniforms strafed their small hut with assault rifles while they were sleeping as Oplan Branstark raged on.

Before the implementation of SEMPO, nine peasants were gunned down in Hacienda Nene in Sagay, Negros Occidental now known as the Sagay Massacre.

Along with his fascist chieftain Duterte, Sinas has yet to be held accountable for these heinous crimes.

Sinas must be indicted in the people’s court and made to face punishment.###