Ex-PNP Chief Cascolan's kin stumped over cremation

The siblings of former Philippine National Police chief Camilo Cascolan are upset over the cremation of his remains after he died on Friday.

According to Raffy Tima's report on "24 Oras," nephew Atty. Stephen Cascolan said the general's siblings already had misgivings over why his condition had worsened to the point that he died.

"They filed a guardianship petition para maalagaan siya ng maayos nung buhay pa siya. Kasama du'n sa guardianship petition, nag-request kami na kung puwede, kung mamatay, 'wag i-cremate. Very specific," Attorney Cascolan said.

(They filed a guardianship petition so he could be properly taken care of while he's still alive. Included in the guardianship petition is a request that if he dies, he will not be cremated. It was very specific.)

General Cascolan's siblings were perplexed by how quickly the remains were cremated despite the presence at the funeral parlor of National Bureau of Investigation staff who were ready to do an autopsy.

The siblings were also questioning why a PNP doctor and not his attending physician had signed the death certificate used to have his body immediately cremated.

Attorney Cascolan said the NBI investigation is ongoing and that there were invitations to those who handled the retired general and his medication. 

General Cascolan was considered one of the "Davao Boys," and along with now Senator "Bato" de la Rosa, was one of the officials behind the then government's "Oplan Double Barrel" anti-drugs campaign. 

After serving as PNP chief, he was appointed Executive Director of the Anti-terrorism Council Project Management Center.

The new administration had then appointed him an undersecretary in the Health Department. — DVM, GMA Integrated News