Cascolan named PNP OIC until chief’s recovery

FILE: Interior Secretary Eduardo Año (left) visits PNP chief, Gen. Archie Gamboa in his private room at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City on Thursday (March 5, 2020). Año has designated Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan as PNP officer-in-charge (OIC) after Gamboa and seven others were injured in a helicopter crash in San Pedro, Laguna. (Photo courtesy of DILG Secretary Eduardo Año via PNA)

MANILA – Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año has designated Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan as the officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Philippine National Police following the helicopter crash on Thursday that injured PNP chief, Gen. Archie Gamboa and seven others.

Cascolan will remain PNP OIC until Gamboa is still not on full duty status, he added.

“Yes, not until Gen. Gamboa is on full duty status. I already visited (Lieutenant) General Gamboa this afternoon,” Año said when asked how long would Cascolan’s OIC designation last.

Cascolan is the PNP Deputy Chief for Administration and is considered the number two man in the police organization.

Meanwhile, members of the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) “Bell 429”, led by Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, PNP Deputy Chief for Operations, will go to the crash site on March 6 to start the probe.

Aside from the task force, the PNP also tapped the help of other agencies, PNP acting spokesman, Maj. Gen. Benigno Durana said.

“Definitely it’s not only the Philippine National Police who will conduct the investigation. They will tap the support and expertise of other agencies particularly the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines para po matingnan lahat ng mga anggulo (to look at other angles),” Durana told reporters in Taguig City.