THE Philippine Military Academy (PMA) has rendered retirement honors for its most senior alumni in the Philippine National Police (PNP) who were members of the PMA Sinagtala Class of 1986.
The PMA Class 1986 has the most colorful history in the police service as it holds the record of the most number of alumni appointed to the highest PNP post.
They includes Senator Ronald dela Rosa, Oscar Albayalde and Archie Gamboa.
PMA Superintendent Navy Vice Admiral Allan Ferdinand Cusi led the ceremony in Camp Crame in Quezon City on Monday, August 24, 2020 as the traditional testimonial parade at the PMA grounds in Camp Gregorio del Pilar is prohibited due to the threat of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
Awarded during the ceremony were Gamboa, who received the “Ulirang Alumnus ng Akademya” award; Lieutenant General Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, PNP deputy chief for administration; Major General Reynaldo Biay, director for personnel and records management; Major General Elmo Francis Sarona, director for investigation and detective management; Major General Amador Corpuz, director for human resource and doctrine development; and Major General Timoteo Pacleb, director for research and development, who all received the Outstanding PMA Alumnus Award.
“(I am) Deeply honored and very grateful to receive the Outstanding PMA Alumnus Award: Ulirang Alumnus ng Akademya for “exceptional leadership and dedication that brought honor” to the PMA,” said Gamboa in his Twitter post.
Cascolan is set to retire on November 10, Biay on November 9, Sarona on September 10, Corpus on October 3 and Pacleb on September 23.
The two other members of the PMA Class 1986 who were not present during the awarding are Major General Jose Maria Victor Ramos, former director for comptrollership, and Major General Mariel Magaway, who used to be the head of the directorate for intelligence.
Ramos and Magaway are on non-duty status as they are recuperating from the injuries they sustained during a helicopter crash in Laguna in March.
Ramos is set to retire on November 25 while Magaway is turning 56 on November 25.
Meanwhile, the PNP has prepared retirement honors for Gamboa on September 2, a day before he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56.
“PNP is now preparing to render retirement honors to Gen. Archie Gamboa and for possible change of command ceremony. It will be held at PNP Multi-purpose Center on September 2, subject to availability of President Rodrigo Duterte as guest of honor and speaker,” PNP spokesperson Bernard Banac said.
Duterte has yet to announce Gamboa’s successor.
Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said he has recommended three ranking police officials to Duterte.
He, however, refused to disclose their names and ranks but he earlier said that any star-ranked police officers may be appointed.
Among the possible contenders for PNP chief are Cascolan, the PNP’s second highest ranking official; Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar, deputy chief for operations and commander of the Joint Task Force Covid Shield; and Lieutenant General Cesar Hawthorne Binag, chief of the PNP directorial staff.
Eleazar and Binag are both members of the PMA Class 1987 and are set to retire on November 13, 2021 and April 24, 2021, respectively. (SunStar Philippines)