After the 2019 elections, Baguio ushered in a fresh start welcoming the first-time runner Benjamin Magalong as the city’s new mayor. Despite his late start at the world of politics, Magalong won against a list of seasoned politicians. He won by a lead of nearly 19,000 votes against the second runner up incumbent Vice Mayor Edison Bilog. Among his platforms are responsible tourism, revitalizing the environment, effective traffic management, and expanding health and social services.
Unknown to many, Magalong has already been a model public servant for years even before he tried his hand at politics. He is best known for spearheading the investigation into the deadly Mamasapano clash in 2015 that took the lives of 44 Special Action Force troopers. And that is only one of his many achievements in his 38 years of service in the Philippine National Police. Benjamin Magalong might be new to the field but, he is ready to serve.
Get to Know Baguio’s New Mayor Benjamin “Benjie” Magalong
1. Baguio Boy Benjamin Magalong
Though new Mayor Magalong’s roots lie in Pangasinan, he’s a Baguio boy through and through. According to the Manila Bulletin, he was born and raised in the city. Magalong attended Saint Louis University for both his elementary and high school education until his graduation in 1977. Then, he continued his studies at the Philippine Military Academy. He belonged to the Sandigan class of 1982 and graduated magna cum laude.
Though his career took him to many parts of the country away from Baguio, Magalong still wanted to come back to Baguio. According to the Manila Bulletin, he said, “There’s no better place to live in for my family than Baguio. I am from Baguio and I will always be a Baguio boy, and I want to give back to the city after serving the nation.”
2. Achiever Through and Through
In his 38-year career in the PNP, Magalong earned himself 166 military and PNP achievement and merit medals for his law enforcement and combat accomplishments. Among those are the PNP Gold Cross, the Distinguished Conduct Star, and the Distinguished Service Star. In addition to that, he was also awarded the Individual Achievement Award for Criminal Investigation during the 113th Police Service Anniversary. And most recently, he was awarded the 2017 Outstanding Citizen of Baguio City in the field of Public Service.
Magalong also didn’t stop his adding to his academic achievements. According to his profile at the Philippine National Oil Company where he previously served as a board member, he completed numerous law enforcement courses in the country as well as abroad. Then, in his time in the SAF, he founded the SAF Seaborne and Sniper Unit. Aside from being a decorated law enforcer, he is also a scuba diver, a boxer, a parachutist, and a member of the PNP Shooting Team.
3. The “Dragon”
Mayor Benjamin Magalong goes by many names. His friends from the PMA address him by “Benjie” or “Maggyboy.” But, there was one point in his career that he was known as the “Dragon.”
As Magalong recalled, his staff described him to have a “distinct military air with a ferocity that made working with him nerve-wracking and as stressful as it was inspiring.” According to ABS-CBN, Magalong said, “…there were times I appeared threatening to them, that I looked like a boss who eats cannonballs for breakfast.” Because of this, he became more conscious of his leadership style. In his departing message to the PNP, he emphasized three things about leadership. It is about giving value to humility rather than authority. It is pursuing the truth instead of falsehood. And it is putting the needs of others above his own. As his campaigns suggested, he’ll continue to stand by these notions in leading the city of Baguio.
4. Servant of Justice
One of the highlights in Magalong’s career is when he led the investigation on the Mamasapano clash in 2015. He was steadily advancing in his career at that point earning promotions from year to year. However, that case put him and his career in hot waters even outcasting him after the investigation. Despite that, he stood steadfast. He delivered results that opened the eyes of the nation to what led to the deadly encounter.
Aside from that, he and his team were behind the “Oplan Cronus” plan. It gave life to the successful massive raid in the National Bilibid Prison dealing with the prevalent drug transactions inside the prison. According to Inquirer, 19 high-profile inmates were identified to be responsible for the massive drug production in the prison. Magalong also once headed the successful “Patrol Plan 2030” program that sought to make physical and internal transformations to the offices of the PNP. And those are only the highlights.
5. Incidental Career
Surprisingly, Magalong almost didn’t go down the path that he took. According to GMA, he admitted that he entered the PMA by chance. It was his classmate who convinced him to apply. He was told that he only needed to march and he already has a salary.
In his interview, he said, ”Before I knew it, I was drawn to a special kind of life, highly structured but ruled by the Honor Society of the PMA. We lived by it and I, myself, became a member of the Honor Committee. By April 1982, a new and different Benjie Magalong emerged from the gates of the academy,” In the end, he graduated on top of his class and he became the third highest ranking official in the PNP retiring as a two-star general. Now, he’s back to continue his duties as a public servant through the mayoral position of Baguio city.