Outgoing Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Camilo Pancratius Cascolan said order of succession was not important concerning President Rodrigo Duterte’s move to appoint Police Major General Debold Sinas as the new PNP chief.
Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar is PNP’s No. 2 man, followed by Police Lieutenant General Cesar Hawthorne Binag and Police Major General Joselito Vera Cruz. All officials, including Sinas, are members of the Philippine Military Academy “Hinirang” Class of 1987.
“At this point, it’s not important considering that they are classmates… They deal with each other professionally, at the same time, they are classmates, they respect each other, they are friends with each other,” Cascolan told ANC in an interview.
Cascolan responded to the question if Sinas’ appointment as the new PNP leader will have a negative impact on the police force.
“It may have some questions, but with this in hand, both are classmates. They know for a fact that the leadership is in good hands,” Cascolan said.
Cascolan said he is not surprised that the President chose Sinas, emphasizing that the “mañanita” cop has done well in serving the public despite the issues he was involved with.
“There were a lot of things he did, maybe there were some shortcomings, but generally he has done good too,” Cascolan said of Sinas, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office.
Cascolan on Sinas’ appointment as PNP chief
Cascolan, meanwhile, was mum on criminal complaints filed against Sinas and other police officers due to the mañanita last May.
“I don’t know, I’m not privy to the case actually… I have not followed-it up… let him explain,” he said.
Cascolan is hoping that Sinas would retain the cops who were reshuffled when he was the PNP chief.
“I just hope he will be able to retain those who are deserving PNP personnel, efficient and effective,” he said.
The rule of Batch ’86 of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) is about to end with outgoing PNP chief Cascolan’s retirement.
Cascolan is the last to retire from the PMA Class 1986 as he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56 on November 10 Tuesday.