PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has approved the recommendation to promote acting Metro Manila police director Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar to the next rank of Director.
In a letter sent to the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Malacañang informed Secretary Eduardo Año that “per the endorsement of the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission and as recommended by the National Police Commission, and in conjunction with Republic Act No. 6975, as amended, the promotion of Police Chief Supt. Guillermo Tolentino Eleazar to the next higher rank of Police Director is hereby approved.”
The letter, signed by Duterte on Aug. 16, also stated that “By virtue hereof, he may qualify and enter upon the performance of the duties of the office, furnishing this Office and the Civil Service Commission with copies of his oath of office.”
The promotion will pave the way for Eleazar, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Hinirang Class of 1987, to assume the leadership at the National Capital Region Police Office in a full time capacity.
The Police Director rank is equivalent to the rank of a two-star General (Major General) in the Armed Forces.
Año, who is also the concurrent chairman of the Napolcom, made the recommendation to the Chief Executive to promote Eleazar last July 23.
Napolcom Vice-Chairman and Executive Officer Rogelio Casurao said that aside from the recommendation, the Napolcom certified that Eleazar met all the requirements for promotion to Police Director.
Eleazar was barely two months into his post as Regional Director of Police Regional Office 4-A when he was ordered to lead the NCRPO on June 1, replacing Oscar Albayalde, now the director of the Philippine National Police.
He also served as head of the Quezon City Police District prior to his appointment as Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) police chief.
When Eleazar assumed post at the NCRPO, the number of crime incidents in Metro Manila went down. He attributed the significant accomplishment to the continuing war on drugs campaign and other factors.
NCRPO also arrested and jailed 48,886 individuals while 1,590 were neutralized during various police operations.
