By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
If you are not familiar with “The Last Dance,” it is the critically acclaimed documentary series on Michael Jordan’s last season in the NBA. It also marked the final stand of the Chicago Bulls dynasty to win their last of six NBA championships won within eight straight years under coach Phil Jackson. It is a fitting tribute to an athlete regarded by many as the GOAT (greatest of all time) in the sport of basketball – a presumptive title fans crowned upon him even before he hung up his jersey no. “23.”
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With all the praises heaped on Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar as the perfect officer and gentleman, I cannot help but see him being portrayed as the “MJ” of the Philippine National Police. In every post he was assigned to lead, however rough or short-lived, his subordinates always saw him as a man on the rise to one day becoming their “Chief PNP.” And he did not disappoint.
Things got particularly exciting for Eleazar just months before he earned his first star on the shoulder as director of the Quezon City Police District in 2016. QC had owned up to many criminal tags in the past from “Carnapping Capital” to “Hotbed of Highwaymen,” “Suki ng Akyat-Bahay,” “Bold Show Strip,” “Killer Highway,” “Prosti Avenue,” and pockets of “Drug Dens” lorded by “Shabu Kings and Queens.”
Instilling the slogan “Proud to be QCPD” in the hearts of the uniformed police, Eleazar rallied them to clean up the biggest city in the metropolitan capital alongside the Duterte administration’s vaunted war on drugs. And he began by relieving 72 dirty cops in one day. He knew exactly where to start.
So, it wasn’t surprising that then-PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa swiftly took notice, praising him at the 2017 awarding of the Metrobank Foundation’s 10 Most Outstanding Police Officers in the Service (COPS) as one of the bright stars in the organization. Of course, Metrobank already knew that way back in 1999 when Eleazar himself was a recipient of the award. On the sidelines, a future PNP Chief in Gen. Oscar Albayalde was NCRPO chief, and he often cited Eleazar as the exemplar of a district director.
It is not mind-boggling that after his stint in the QCPD, Eleazar spent only two months as regional director of Central Luzon before being given the juicy post of heading the NCRPO when Albayalde took over the helm of the PNP. Many insiders interpreted it as an anointing of a future successor by a PNP Chief notorious for being a hard-to-please disciplinarian.
But it was not just about playing favorites for Albayalde. In fact, he was not alone in giving Eleazar a good review. Retired general Arturo Lomibao, a highly-regarded PNP Chief (2005-2006), branded Eleazar as “a model for field commanders to act decisively and with urgency.”
Bearing those qualities, Eleazar became the darling of the NCRPO Press Corps. Friends in media described him as “always available,” “an action man,” and “kind but dead serious about the job.” He was also bold in his actions as he was transparent, unforgiving to scalawags in uniform, and while hardly apologetic for controversial police operations, he was corrective in policy. We see hints of that now in his order for police to extend assistance to community pantries instead of subject organizers to profiling.
Another thing I noticed is that this PNP Chief has never been afraid of big responsibilities. This is well exemplified by his wearing of multiple hats when the pandemic broke out and, more importantly, taking charge of the Joint Task Force COVID Shield and ensuring lockdowns were enforced throughout the country.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III called Eleazar’s appointment the President’s “best choice ever” – in fact, the only recommendation to Duterte by DILG Sec. Eduardo Año. And across party lines, senators and congressmen agreed, including two former PNP chiefs in the Chamber – Senators Ping Lacson and Bato dela Rosa.
Leaders of various sectors appreciate him, too, not because he is a people pleaser but because Eleazar was a willing participant in every sit-down to confront a problem. He might not always have the solution, but he never shied away from facing the challenge of doing something to address the situation.
Perhaps, this is why another retired general, Julius Yarcia (former PNP intelligence chief), was quoted as saying: “Guilor may not have enough time, but we are confident he can make the foundation to bring back the glory days of the police.”
If that’s what he truly stands for in the PNP, six months is too short; but you can bet on Eleazar trying his darnedest best each day to achieve it. If this is Eleazar’s “last dance,” may it be as glorious as Jordan’s 1998 NBA championship.
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SHORT BURSTS. For comments or reactions, email firingline@ymail.com or tweet @Side_View. Read current and past issues of this column at https://www.thephilbiznews.com
