Benjamin "Benjie" Bañez Magalong (born December 15, 1960) is a Filipino politician and retired police officer serving as the mayor of Baguio since 2019. Before entering politics, he served in the Philippine Constabulary and Philippine National Police (PNP) for 38 years. He was the chief of the Cordillera regional police office, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), and the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM). He retired with the rank of Police Deputy Director General as the PNP's Deputy Chief for Operations. Born and raised in Baguio, Magalong graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1982. He first served in Abra and Agusan del Norte before joining the Special Action Force (SAF) and heading its Special Operations Battalion from 1997 to 2001. He was accused of plotting to assassinate President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2001 but was later cleared in 2005. He then led the quelling of the March 2005 prison riot in Camp Bagong Diwa. In 2006, he was detained for three months after joining an alleged failed coup attempt against Arroyo. After his reinstatement, he was assigned to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Quezon City police office. He then became the director of the CIDG and chairman of the PNP Board of Inquiry on the Mamasapano Incident. Magalong published the investigation report on March 13, 2015, which implicated PNP chief Alan Purisima and President Benigno Aquino III of misconduct leading to the deaths of 44 SAF troopers. In 2019, Magalong testified before the Senate accusing PNP chief Oscar Albayalde of protecting police officers involved in the drug trade. He served as the contact tracing czar of the Philippine government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic from July 2020 until his irrevocable resignation on January 29, 2021. Early life and education Benjie Magalong was born in Baguio on December 15, 1960, to Severiano Magalong Sr. (1929-2021) and Fortunata Bañez of San Carlos, Pangasinan. He spent his elementary days at Saint Louis University Laboratory Elementary School. He finished high school at what was then-Saint Louis Boys' High School (now Saint Louis University Laboratory High School). He entered Saint Louis University for one-year, before entering the Philippine Military Academy, where he graduated as Magna cum laude in 1982's Sandigan class. During his career, he graduated from the FBI National Academy. He also completed the Counter Terrorists Operation Course in Louisiana, USA, and the Senior Crisis Management Course