The late former PNP Chief Camilo Cascolan

House quad-committee (quad-comm) co-chairman Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. has identified the Philippine National Police (PNP) general who practically saved the life of former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog. 

In a radio interview over the weekend, Abante said that the late Police General Camilo Cascolan was the one who phoned Mabilog in Japan in 2017 to tell him that he should not come back home, despite the prodding of then-PNP chief Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa. 

Mabilog, who had been included in then-president Rodrigo Duterte's narco-list, followed Cascolan's advice and went on self-imposed exile in the United States (US) for the next seven years. 

He didn't publicly name Cascolan in his affidavit, but he shared the information to the quad-comm chairmen during the last hearing on Sept. 18. 

"Hindi niya masabi ang pangalan pero ang sinabi niyang pangalan, pero I think I am at liberty now to tell that no, ito po si General Cascolan namatay na po siya...Ito ang tumawag sa kaniya upang sabihin sa kaniya wag kang uuwi ng Pilipinas," Abante said. 

(He couldn't mention the name, but the name he shared, I think I am at liberty now to tell that it's General Cascolan who has already died...he's the one who called to tell him not to come back home to the Philippines.) 

READ THIS: 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/9/18/mabilog-reveals-plot-to-link-roxas-drilon-to-drugs-during-duterte-s-time 

Asked if he was the same general who told Mabilog about the plan to implicated Liberal Party (LP) stalwarts Mar Roxas and Franklin Drilon in the illegal drug trade during Duterte's drug war, Abante said, "Yes." 

But the Manilla lawmaker was saddened by the fact that Cascolan had already passed away. 

"Yun ang nakakalungkot dun eh dahil hindi na namin pwede ipatawag dahil pumanaw na siya. Yun ang isang bagay na nakakalungkot talaga," he said. 

(That's the sad part because we can no longer invite him to the hearings because he has already passed on. That's one thing that's really saddening.) 

Cascolan passed away on Nov. 24, 2023 at the age of 59. Before this, he served as PNP chief under Duterte from September to November 2020. 

The quad-comm will hold its next hearing next week.