3 Cordillera generals now in PNP top posts

By Redjie Melvic Cawis

BAGUIO CITY -- Cordilleran police officers were chosen to lead the police force with the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.  

Newly installed Philippine National Police Chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa has named three highly decorated Cordillerans police officials to join him in leading police force under the new administration.

Dela Rosa  picked  Deputy Director General Francisco Uyami Francisco Uyami of Lagawe, Ifugao as PNP Acting Deputy Chief for Administration while Police Director Benjamin Magalong of Baguio City is now Officer-in-Charge, Deputy Chief for Operations, the second and third highest posts in the PNP, respectively.

Uyami and Magalong are both members of Philippine Military Academy Sandigan Class of 1982, and classmates of retired PNP Chief Director General Ricardo Marquez.

Uyami is the first general from the capital town of Ifugao. He was the Acting Chief of Directorial Staff before being promoted to his new position.

         As an officer, he received numerous medals, wards and commendations. He was recently recognized as one of the outstanding sons of Ifugao who received the Ifugao Achievers award during the 50th Founding Anniversary of the province.

 Magalong served as police chief of Baguio and Cordillera.

He was lauded for being the recipient of the Regional Presidential Lingkod Bayan award and for qualifying as a semi-finalist to the national search for his outstanding work performance.

He was the chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and chairman of the PNP Board of Inquiry of the bloody Mamasapano clash in 2015, who stood his ground and fought for the truth particularly for his fellow Special Action Force brothers.

Meanwhile, Chief Supt. Benjamin Macli-ing Lusad of PMA Class of 1985 was named by de la Rosa as acting director of the Special Action Force.

He will lead mostly Igorot police officers in the SAF who are considered the bravest among police units.

Lusad who hails from Bontoc, Mountain Province led the Benguet Provincial Police Office as the Best Police Provincial Office in the Cordillera Region in 2010. During his stint, Lusad strengthened the province tourist police program as well as training for the highland force.

He was the executive officer of the PNP directorate for operation in Camp Crime prior to his new assignment.