Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong shared many anecdotes about his former boss, Partido Reporma presidential candidate Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, and how he always looked after the welfare of policemen, especially the orphans left behind by fallen cops.
In a dialogue with members of Rotary Club International District 3790 Cluster 1C, the mayor admitted he had “a very difficult life working under [Lacson]” when Magalong was still the commander of the elite Special Action Force while Lacson was the Philippine National Police chief from 1999 to 2001.
On his very first day as SAF commander, Magalong said he had one policeman die in an encounter.
Lacson called him and sternly reprimanded him, the Baguio mayor recalled.
“I was so sad after being scolded. After a couple of hours, the PNP comptroller, General Acop— (former Antipolo) Congressman Romy Acop—said, ‘Benjie, tell me how many children in the family did that policeman who died had? They will all receive scholarships until they graduate from college,’” Magalong said.
“Do you know what he gave to the family of the fallen policeman? He gave them a house and lot. That’s how Senator Lacson is,” he added.
Lacson later explained that while he was stern and often curt with Magalong when he was his subordinate, it was only because he knew the outstanding character of the future Baguio mayor, which allowed him to focus on his other concerns as PNP chief.
“He stayed true to his training at the PMA [Philippine Military Academy] and through his long public service, he has shown his bravery. He’s truly brave. For me, as far as I am concerned, and not for anything because I was his [boss]… but this is what we call the character of a person,” Lacson said.
Magalong also shared stories ofLacson’s leadership of the PNP, where he successfully eradicated the culture of “kotong” (bribe-seeking) and turned the funds of the national police over to the local units, allowing them to be better-equipped and more capable of serving Filipinos nationwide.