The road is set for the candidacy of retired Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar after he was sworn in as official member of the Partido Reporma under presidential aspirant Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Sunday, Nov 14, in Pampanga.
Eleazar is expected to file his certificate of candidacy (COC) on Monday, Nov. 15.
It was Partido Reporma standard bearer Sen. Panfilo that was hurled at the PNP, and sought for the former’s guidance as a former chief PNP.
Lacson also dared Eleazar if he could replicate the what he did to the PNP wherein the former PNP chief was able to restore the trust and confidence of the Filipino people to the police through quick, reliable and honest police service.
“Today, I accept the challenge to replicate the brand of public service that we have shown in the Philippine National Police in the past six months, I accept the challenge to work for the vision of genuine reform and transformation for the Filipino people, and I accept the challenge to run for senator of the Republic of the Philippines,” said Eleazar.
Eleazar was sworn in by Lacson. Present during the activity were vice presidential aspirant Sen. Vicente Sotto III, and the party’s senatorial candidates Monsour del Rosario and Dr. Minguita Padilla.
During the activity in Pampanga, Lacson was all praises for Eleazar for the successful implementation of various programs and projects that led to the unprecedented jump in the trust and approval ratings of the PNP in just six months.
“Nagtagumpay siya (as ChIef PNP). Alam niyo sa mga naging Chief PNP, ipuwera iyo yung sarili ko, pero palagay ko mas magaling pa nga sa akin eh (He succeeded as the Chief PNP and except for me, he was the best Chief PNP. I think he was better than me)," said Lacson.
“Ngayon ko lang na-relealize na six months lang pala siya and in the six months period na nagsibili siya ang daming nangyari sa PNP (It was only now I that I realized that his tour of duty as Chief PNP was only six months. But in that period, lot of things happened in the PNP). He is a performer,” he added.
Eleazar also earned praises from the people and various groups that include even critics of the government for opening the documents on the drug war to the Department of Justice for review amid allegations of human rights abuses.
He also strengthened transparency and accountability in the conduct of police operations by facilitating the release of the body-worn cameras and coordinating with the Supreme Court to come up with the guidelines on how to use them by the police on the ground.
He served as the chief of police of San Pedro Laguna wherein he was awarded as the best junior police officer, the Director of the Quezon City Police District where he earned his first star rank, the director of the Police Regional Office 4A wherein he ensured the peaceful and credible conduct of elections during the 2019 mid-term elections in the region, he led the National Capital Region Police Office to receive its first ever Best Police Regional Office, and he also led the implementation of the health protocols for COVID-19 as the Joint Task Force COVID Shield commander.
A native of Tagkawayan, Quezon, he entered the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in 1983 after he was challenged by his father Victor, a World War II veteran, if he has what it takes to be in the uniformed service.
He graduated cum laude in 1987 and ranked number 4 among the graduates.