Paciano Tangco (March 9, 1892 – 1946) was a Filipino military officer who served as the Chief of the Signal Corps.

Paciano Tangco
Chief of the Signal Corps
In office
1935–x
Preceded byPosition established
Assistant District Commander of Central Luzon
In office
1935–x
PresidentManuel L. Quezon
Provincial Commander of Pampanga
In office
x–1935
Personal details
Born(1892-03-09)9 March 1892
Pateros, Rizal
Died1946
Parent(s)Julio Calingo Tangco (father)
Agueda Concepción (mother)
Alma materPhilippine Military Academy
Manila Law College
Military service
Allegiance Philippines
Branch/service Philippine Army
Rank Koronel (Colonel)

Early life edit

Tangco was born and in Pateros, Rizal, to Julio Calingo Tangco and his wife Agueda Concepción.[1]

Education edit

Tangco graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the Liceo de Manila (now Manila Central University). He later graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Escuela de Derecho (now Manila Law College). In May, 1914, Tangco entered the Constabulary Academy (now Philippine Military Academy) as a cadet. In November, 1914, Tangco was commissioned as a Third Lieutenant.[1]

Military career edit

After commissioning from the Constabulary Academy, Tangco was swiftly promoted. He made second lieutenant in June, 1916; First Lieutenant in September, 1917; Captain February 1, 1920; Major, January 20, 1931; and Lieutenant Colonel September 9, 1937. He was assigned throughout the country in the provinces of Antique, Bataan, Cavite, Manila, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Cotabato, Lanao, Zamboanga, and Sulu in various roles.[1]

In the early 1930s, as a Major, Tangco attempted to provide signal communications for the Armed Forces of the Philippines. He improvised homemade radio sets for the Philippine Constabulary field operatives who were engaging in a campaign against the Asedillo-Encallado bandits in Tayabas province (now Quezon province).[2]

In 1937, a Philippine Army plucking board had recommended Tangco for retirement on the grounds that as a Constabulary officer he sought to secure a promotion through the influence of politicians. However, Philippine President Quezon, under the reasoning of the then assistant military adviser to the Philippine Government Dwight D. Eisenhower, had Tangco reinstated. Eisenhower reasoned that political favoritism was accepted "almost as a matter of course" and that singling out Tangco was unfair.[3]

Legacy edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Cornejo, Miguel R. (1939). Cornejo's Commonwealth Directory of the Philippines. Manila: Miguel R. Cornejo. pp. 2168–2169.
  2. ^ "History of the Philippine National Police Communications and Electronics Service (PNP-CES)". Republic of the Philippines Philippine National Police Communications and Electronics Service. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  3. ^ Meixsel, Richard. An Army For Independence? The American Roots of the Philippine Army. 1993. Ohio State University, PhD dissertation. OhioLink, https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/rws_etd/send_file/send?accession=osu1487846354485106&disposition=inline