Cascolan named PNP chief

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has appointed Lt. Gen. Camilo Pancratius Cascolan as the next chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año confirmed last night.

Cascolan succeeds outgoing PNP chief Archie Gamboa, who bows out of the service today as he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56.

Año said Duterte has chosen Cascolan as he is the most senior among the contenders. The other candidates for the post were deputy chief for operations Lt. Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar and chief of the directorial staff Lt. Gen. Cesar Hawthorne Binag.

“The President respects seniority and Cascolan is also qualified for the post,” Año said in a phone interview.

Cascolan will assume leadership of the 209,000-strong police force at the change of command ceremony at Camp Crame today. He will only serve for two months, as he will reach the mandatory retirement age of 56 on Nov. 10.

Año, however, said Cascolan could accomplish a lot of things in a span of two months, given especially the government’s campaign against anti-illegal drugs and violent extremism.

“I also want him to lead in ensuring that our people are secured and protected under this (coronavirus disease) pandemic,” Año added.

Cascolan is the fourth member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1986 to become the country’s next top cop after Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, Oscar Albayalde and Gamboa.

Sought for comment, Cascolan said he would only be a “transition leader,” given that he has only two months to serve as PNP chief.

“I will guide the PNP with regards to its development,” he said in a phone interview.

Cascolan added that he would do his best to improve the capabilities of the police force so that he can turn it over to his successor in a much better shape.

He also vowed to retain and improve the good programs of his predecessor.

Cascolan is known within the PNP as an official who deeply cares for his troops. He once attempted to impose an eight-hour shift when he was director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) to give police officers more time to rest and be with their families.

Police officials close to Cascolan said he does not want to shame police officers who commit minor offenses in public and prefer to castigate them in private.

His plan, however, did not materialize after he was reassigned to the Civil Security Group after serving only one month at the NCRPO.

Despite anticipating a busier schedule, Cascolan promised to entertain questions from reporters when his time permits. He will also retain the traditional press conference with journalists covering the PNP held every Monday after the flag-raising rites.

“I will personally answer all issues facing the PNP,” he said.

“We are confident that the incoming chief of the PNP (will) continue the significant strides made by his predecessors in making the PNP a professional organization worthy of our people’s trust,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said yesterday.

Malacañang, however, was mum on the President’s revolving door policy deemed as a way of accommodating those perceived to be close to the powers-that-be.

Barring any hitches, Cascolan will serve the police force for about two months, which will allow him to get a pension befitting a four-star general.

No mañanita for Gamboa

There will be no mañanita or the traditional birthday serenade for Gamboa, who bows out of service today.

The outgoing PNP chief has ordered police officers not to hold a mañanita on his birthday as mass gathering is banned amid the coronavirus disease pandemic.

“I already issued a directive to not attempt holding a mañanita,” he told reporters in an ambush interview at Camp Crame in Quezon City yesterday.

The term became controversial when police officers gathered for a birthday party for National Capital Region Police Office chief Maj. Gen. Debold Sinas in May while Metro Manila was under strict community quarantine.

Gamboa likewise thumbed down a proposal from police officers to greet him using video conferencing app Zoom.

“They said Zoom … I told them forget it,” he said.

Gamboa yesterday bade goodbye to the police organization which he led first as officer-in-charge for three months and then as PNP chief for eight months.

He thanked Duterte for giving him the opportunity to serve the country, and lauded journalists covering the PNP for being objective in their stories.

“Thank you very much for that. I couldn’t have made my administration better without you, guys,” Gamboa said, adding that he is ready for the next chapter of his life as a civilian after serving the country as a police officer for three decades.

“I am packed and ready to go,” he said.

BFP exec sacked over despedida party

Meanwhile, Año yesterday sacked a Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) official who held a despedida party amid the community quarantine.

Año relieved Chief Inspector Elaine Evangelista as chief of the Biñan City fire station in Laguna, a post which she held for just a week.

The interior chief issued the directive after a video and a photograph of Evangelista’s party, which she personally led together with her former personnel at the Batangas City fire station, surfaced.

Interior spokesman Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said The BFP personnel who were at the party were also relieved from their posts.

“The BFP has also issued a show cause order against all the BFP personnel involved in the alleged mass gathering in violation of Inter-Agency Task Force guidelines,” Malaya said in a statement.

The participants were not wearing facemasks and ignored physical distancing rules, measures imposed by the government to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

One of the individuals in the video, a woman, had a facemask, but she was only holding the protective gear with her left hand.

A separate photograph showed Evangelista standing beside nine other persons, all of them without facemasks.

The BFP will deploy personnel in Batangas to ensure that the fire station remains functional.

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