The Philippine Military Academy (PMA) honored outgoing Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Police General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar through a testimonial parade and review on Sunday (Nov. 7).
Eleazar, who belongs to PMA Hinirang Class of 1987, is set to retire from the police service on Nov. 13. He is the 6th PNP Chief to be appointed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
In his speech, the Chief PNP expressed gratitude to the PMA for honoring his more than three decades of serving the public and the country, noting that the academy served as the foundation for him to become a better leader.
“I would like to extend our appreciation and gratitude on this very occasion to the PMA that has brought us the honor, ang pagkakataon na makapagsilbi sa ating bayan,” Eleazar said.
“Let me say that the PMA has indeed given me this opportunity na siyang nagbago sa buhay naming mga PMAers. Na siyang nagbigay ng pagkakataon upang mas lalo tayong maging karapat-dapat sa paglilingkod sa ating bayan,” he added.
Eleazar said that PMA alumni always welcome the opportunity to return to the PMA to reminisce and share their experiences and lessons learned through the years with the cadets.
“I can’t help but reminisce sa nakaraan. April 1, 1983 when I reported here. At iyon na, nagbago ang lahat sa aking buhay. But after 34 years, nandito ako ngayon. Humaharap sa inyong mga kadete ng PMA na nagsasabing nabigyan ng pagkakataon ang inyong abang lingkod, kagaya ng iba pa nating alumni ng PMA, na makapaglingkod sa ating bayan,” he said.
“Ito ay napakahalagang pagbibigay pugay ng ating mga alumni sa ating institusyon na nagbigay daan upang marating natin ang aming kinalalagyan ngayon. Na nagbigay ng pagkakataon na maglingkod sa ating bayan,” the Chief PNP pointed out.
“This institution is giving us the foundation to be effective leaders in the future at huwag nating sasayangin,” Eleazar told PMA cadets.
Eleazar admitted that the police organization has faced a lot of challenges and the public has a lot of expectations from the PNP because of the huge salary and benefits given to its personnel, which was what prompted him to heighten reform efforts in the police force.
Eleazar’s leadership in the PNP has been centered on the Intensified Cleanliness Policy (ICP), anchored on the “Broken Windows Theory” of immediately fixing small problems before they get worse.
The ICP, the moral compass of the police force, is divided into three main thrusts which cover the entire continuity of reform in the organization, such as the Intensified Cleanliness Policy in the Offices, Intensified Cleanliness Policy in the Ranks, and Intensified Cleanliness Policy in the Community.
“The small problems must be addressed immediately to prevent these problems from getting worse. Maliit na problema pa lang, itinatama na, inaayos na para hindi ito lumaki, lumala, makahawa at maging problema pa,” Eleazar stressed.
The Chief PNP called on the military cadets to also enforce this reform policy when their time to lead any organization, office, or unit comes.
“As future commanders in your respective areas, ito ang kailangan nating gawin sa ating mga respective units. While it is true, well of course ang AFP you have a different organization, but the set-up is the same and we have learned so much from the military as they are our partners in the different programs that we have in the performance of our duty,” he said. (PNP-PIO) – bny
