Sinas’ appointment as next PNP chief won’t affect relations with ‘mistahs,’ says Cascolan

Sinas’ appointment as next PNP chief won’t affect relations with ‘mistahs,’ says Cascolan

MANILA, Philippines — The designation of Police Major General Debold Sinas as the next Philippine National Police (PNP) will not affect his relationship with senior officials in the PNP Command Group, outgoing PNP chief Police General Camilo Cascolan said Tuesday.

“Well, at this point, it is not important considering that they [Sinas and PNP Command Group] are both 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 ABS-CBN News Channel when asked about the overall effect of not following the order of succession in choosing the PNP chief.

“It may have some questions but with this in hand, they are both classmates, they know for a fact that leadership is in good hands,” he added.

On Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Police Major Debold Sinas, Metro Manila police chief, as the next top cop of the nation’s police force. However, Sinas is not among the PNP hierarchy.

Based on the line of succession in PNP, Cascolan is followed by Deputy Chief for Administration Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar as the No. 2 in the PNP Command Group, Deputy Chief for Operations Lt. Gen. Cesar Binag as the third-in-command, and Chief of the Directorial Staff Maj. Gen. Joselito Vera Cruz as the fourth-in-command.

Sinas is also the mistah (batchmates) of  Eleazar, Binag, and Vera Cruz at Philippine Military Academy Hinirang Class of 1987.

Cascolan will leave the police organization this Tuesday after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.

EDV