The case of the returning Filipina who skipped quarantine protocol--and allegedly bragged about it-- only highlighted anew the deeply-rooted problem of padrino or palakasan (patronage) system in the country, retired police general and senatorial aspirant Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar said.

Eleazar explained that the while he too was angered by the incident, the Filipino people should take this case as a wake-up call to do something concrete to finally put to end to the culture of palakasan which he said contributes to lack of discipline and lack of respect to the rule of law in the country.

“The case of this returning Filipino who skipped the quarantine protocol represents everything that is wrong about the culture of palakasan in the country,” Eleazar.

“Hindi naman magkakaroon ng lakas ng loob ang taong ito na labagin ang regulasyon kung hindi ito pinayagan at kung una pa lang ay maliwanag sa kanya na hindi pinapayagan ito (She will not have that courage to violate the regulations if she was not allowed and if it was made clear to her that it is not allowed and tolerated,” he added.

The Department of Tourism confirmed that the returning Filipina, identified as Gwyneth Chua, did not finish hotel quarantine after pulling off “connections” just so she could attend a party with her friends in Makati City.

The ROF reportedly even bragged about her connections in the government, the reason why she did not go through the strict quarantine protocols that almost all the returning Filipinos must undergo as part of the measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19, especially with the threat of the Omicron variant.

"The rotten system of palakasan is a deep problem that appears to be normal now in the country. From the mere obtaining of documents and services from the government, violation of traffic rules up to job application in the government, this has been the practice," said Eleazar.

As early as he was still the director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), Eleazar said he had implemented a drastic reform in the recruitment system in the PNP in order to remove the culture of palakasan that served as the entry point of scalawag cops in the police service.

He expanded the nameless and faceless QR Code system in the PNP recruitment nationwide when he assumed the Chief PNP post.

He said it resulted in the leveling of the playing field for all applicants which eventually resulted in more children of poor families but smart and qualified policemen to enter the police service. It also shattered the culture of the multi-million lagayan system, or bribery, in the PNP recruitment system.

“Ito ang giniba natin sa PNP recruitment noon dahil nakita natin ang masamang epekto nito kung saan nakapasok ang mga bugok na pulis sa hanay ng kapulisan. Kung nagawa kong buwagin ito sa PNP simula noong ako ay nasa NCRPO pa lamang, kaya nating gibain din ito sa lahat ng ahensya ng pamahalaan,” said Eleazar.