MANILA, Philippines – Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Camilo Pancratius Cascolan has passed away, his family announced on Friday, November 24. He was 59.

In a Facebook post, Cascolan’s son, Jiro, confirmed his father’s passing. The post said the former PNP chief died on Friday at around 5:28 pm, surrounded by his family.

“My dad dedicated his life to serving and protecting our country as a man of service for 42 years. We will forever remember his unwavering dedication to his duty, his selflessness, and his love for his family,” the post read. “His loss leaves a void that can never be filled, but we find solace in knowing that his memory will live on through the countless lives he touched.”

The son added that they would announce soon the details of Cascolan’s wake.

Cascolan served as PNP chief under former president Rodrigo Duterte for six months. Prior to that, he headed the National Capital Region Police Office and eventually became a member of the PNP command group.

After his PNP stint, he was named an undersecretary of the Office of the President, serving as executive director of the Anti-Terrorism Council Project Management Center under Duterte. Then, under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., he was appointed as undersecretary of the Department of Health.

Cascolan’s closest ally and personal friend is Duterte’s first PNP chief, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. Both of them belong to the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1986. Like Dela Rosa, Cascolan had a big role in Duterte’s drug war that killed around 30,000 people, according to the estimate of several human rights groups.

Dela Rosa and Cascolan created the Oplan Double Barrel, the manual for Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs.

Like other PNP chiefs under Duterte, Cascolan was among the “Davao boys” or generals who had maintained ties with Duterte after serving in Davao City, where Duterte was mayor for over four decades.

Although he was a Baguio native, Cascolan spent most of his police career in the southern Philippines. He was assigned to Parang, Maguindanao, and then served in several towns in Iloilo province, and then in Compostela Valley (now Davao de Oro).

At the Davao regional police office, Cascolan served as the chief of directorial, which brought him closer to Senator Bong Go, Duterte’s long-time aide. – Rappler.com