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Cascolan's appointment to DOH a 'blatant display of patronage politics' - expert

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="PNP Director Camilo Cascolan speaks during a press conference in Quezon City on PDEA" s="" current="" achievements="" on="" the="" war="" June="" Mark="" ABS-CBN="" News="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/tvpatrol/10/26/20170609-pdea-prescon-qc-md-8.jpg"/><figcaption>PNP Director Camilo Cascolan speaks during a press conference in Quezon City on PDEA&#x27;s current achievements on the war on drugs, June 9, 2017. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — A health expert on Wednesday slammed the appointment of former Philippine National Police chief Camilo Cascolan to the Department of Health, saying it is a &quot;blatant display of patronage politics&quot;.According to Dr. Gene Nisperos, a professor at UP College of Medicine, naming Cascolan, a non-doctor, as health undersecretary is &quot;an insult to all Filipino citizens&quot;.&quot;For one, it&#x27;s a brazen, very brazen and blatant display of patronage politics,&quot; he told ANC&#x27;s &quot;Rundown&quot;.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/23/22/ex-pnp-chief-camilo-cascolan-is-new-doh-undersecretary">Ex-PNP chief Camilo Cascolan appointed as DOH undersecretary</a></li></ul>Nisperos said the government is holding on to the &quot;bare minimum&quot; of Cascolan&#x27;s qualification. The retired police official is trained in public management at the UP Visayas.&quot;The point is why get someone when you can get that is very qualified and then work hard to make him manage to do the job,&quot; he said.As the country&#x27;s healthcare system is complex, those holding a top post at the DOH should have the skillset and knowledge of the health landscape, Nisperos stressed.&quot;Bakit sa dami ng Pilipino ba&#x27;t ka kukuha ng retired general? Isa &#x27;yun,&quot; he said.&quot;The second part is hindi lang siya pulis. He&#x27;s not just a simple police officer. The man has a history with the bloody anti-drug war. &quot;So, just looking at that, he reflects a value system that is anathema to what health represents,&quot; he added.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/24/22/cascolan-managing-health-is-not-just-about-medical-knowledge">Cascolan defends DOH post: Managing health is not just about medical knowledge</a></li></ul>Cascolan was among those who crafted &quot;Oplan Double Barrel,&quot; which became the PNP’s flagship program in the war against illegal drugs. The controversial “Oplan Tokhang,&quot; which is linked to thousands of deaths of drug suspects, was implemented under this program.&quot;Here you are putting someone who is supposed to run the agency who has shown that they have very little regard for human rights and human life. So, salungat na salungat,&quot; Nisperos said.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/24/22/from-pnp-chief-to-doh-usec-who-is-camilo-cascolan">From PNP chief to DOH usec: Who is Camilo Cascolan?</a></li></ul>Cascolan has since defended his appointment to the DOH, saying that managing health is not just about medical knowledge.He vowed to bring his experience in administration, management and strategic planning. He also touted his expertise in emergency response and experience working with local government units.Cascolan served as PNP Chief from September to November 2020 under the Duterte administration.President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has yet to appoint a DOH chief. The agency is currently headed by its officer-in-charge, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/25/22/doh-chief-post-offered-but-doctors-declined-garin">DOH chief post offered but doctors declined - Garin</a></li></ul>

Former PNP chief Camilo Cascolan's appointment to the DOH is a 'blatant display of patronage politics,' a health expert said.