By Aura Sison

The Department of Health (DOH) confirmed on Sunday, October 23, that former Philippine National Police Chief  Camilo Cascolan has been appointed as an undersecretary of the agency. 

Cascolan filled the undersecretary position of Roger Tong-an, while the position of assistant secretary was handed to Atty. Charade Mercado-Grande. Along with Lilibeth David, Carolina Vidal-Taino, Abdullah Dumama, Kenneth Ronquillo, Nestor Santiago, and Maria Francia Laxamana, Cascolan now serves as a DOH undersecretary 

DOH stated that it will offer more pieces of information regarding the new appointments as soon as it is available.

In line with this, the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) criticized Cascolan’s nomination in a statement, calling it “a manifestation of the President’s absolute lack of concern for the lives, health, and welfare of the Filipino people”.

This issue that was brought up by the AHW rooted from Cascolan’s previous tenure as PNP chief from September to November 2020, where he took part in “murderous” Oplan Tokhang, as well as when he served as undersecretary at the Office of the President in February 2021.

With the announcement of the agency’s undersecretary, the DOH secretary is yet to be named nearly four months into President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term. 

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