New PNP chief is Baguio Boy

President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed  Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan as the new  PNP chief effective  September 02, 2020. Cascolan hails from Baguio City and a member of PMA Class of 1986. In this file photo,  Cascolan meets   with Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong during his courtesy call at the Baguio City Hall in September last year. (RMC PIA-CAR)

By Redjie Melvic Cawis

BAGUIO CITY – President Rodrigo Duterte has designated Philippine National Police Deputy Chief for Administration Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan as the new chief of the police force with the rank of Police General effective Sept. 2.

                In the virtual change of command rites presided by DILG  Undersecretary Bernardo Florece Jr. who represented DILG Secretary Eduardo Año   in Camp Crame on Wednesday, Cascolan took over the command of the 228,000-strong PNP as the 24th Chief PNP upon the retirement of PNP Chief Gen. Archie Gamboa   culminating  his 38-year career in the uniformed service. 

Cascolan hails from Baguio City and is the first Cordilleran to assume the   highest post of the PNP organization. 

Cascolan finished elementary at the Maryknoll Convent School and his secondary education at the University of the Philippines Baguio High Schol. He is a member of the Philippine Military Academy "Sinagtala" Class of 1986 together with past PNP chiefs Gamboa, Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa and Oscar Albayalde.

His various experiences in the field and in administrative positions have prepared him to assume the role of the top police officer in the country.

                Upon graduation from PMA, Cascolan was assigned in Parang, Maguindanao as Junior Officer and Platoon Leader in the Regional Special Action Force of Central Mindanao until 1988.

From Mindanao he was assigned to Western Visayas where he was designated to various positions. After serving 13 years in the field, he was assigned to an administrative post as Chief of the Special Research Division of the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime in Camp Crame from 1999-2001, and as Security Officer to then Police Director General and DOTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza until 2003.

From 2004-2008, he held several positions in various capacities in the PNP Aviation Security Group. His other assignments included Chief of Police of Taguig City in 2008, PNP Provincial Director of Compostela Valley in 2012, aDeputy Regional Director for Operations of Police Regional Office –ARMM in 2015 and as Deputy Regional Director for Administration for Western Visayas in 2016.

He was named PNP Director for Operations in 2016 where he operationalized the Double Barrel Strategy to implement the national anti-illegal drugs campaign. 

In 2018, he was the Regional Director of the National Capital Region Police Office and briefly served as Director of the Civil Security Group before he was elevated to the PNP Command Group as Chief of Directorial Staff.

Prior to his newest appointment, as the Deputy Chief for Administration on concurrent capacity,  he was Commander of the Administrative Support to COVID -19 Operations Task Force that provided administrative support and formulated strategic policy on PNP response to the national health crisis.

Cascolan, a 2015 Country’s Outstanding Police Officer conferred by Metrobank Foundation, is the brother of Dr. Celia Flor Brillantes, the Deputy Health Officer of the Baguio City Health Services Office. -- PIA CAR