(BERNARD TAGUINOD)

POSITIBO ang pagtanggap ng iba’t ibang sektor sa pagkakatalaga ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte kay Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar bilang susunod na hepe ng Philippine National Police (PNP) kabilang na ang mababang kapulungan ng Kongreso.

Kahit ang mga militanteng mambabatas na maingay noong italaga ni Duterte si outgoing PNP Chief Debold Sinas ay tahimik sa appointment ni Eleazar.

“I personally welcome the appointment of Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar as the new chief of the Philippine National Police. Of all the appointments of President Duterte, this is so far the best. Homicide and killings are on the rise, PNP Chief Eleazar will have his hands full.

We fully support him,” ani Deputy Speaker Lito Atienza.

Maging si Deputy Speaker Bernadette Herrera ay natuwa sa appointment ni Eleazar na pamumunuan ang pambamsang pulisya mula bukas, Mayo 8, kasabay ng pagreretiro ni Sinas.

“I am elated that Police General Guillermo Lorenzo Tolentino Eleazar is the new chief of the Philippine National Police. He served us well in Quezon City and continued to serve as an exemplar police officer worthy of emulation and admiration by the entire police force,” ani Herrera.

Maging si ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Jocelyn Tulfo ay sinuportahan ang appointment ni Eleazar dahil malinis at solido umano ang reputasyon ng heneral.

“General Eleazar could very well be the best appointee to PNP Chief in a long time. I believe he is the right man for that job at time when the PNP is in dire need of upright leadership, wisdom, and prudence,” ani Tulfo.

Maging si House majority leader Martin Romualdez ay pinuri ang appointment ni Eleazar na itinuturing niyang “man of action”.

Pero may hamon..

Gayunman, umaasa sina Tulfo at Herrera na sa loob ng susunod na anim (6) na buwan ay malilinis ni Eleazar ang pambansang pulisya lalo na sa mga tiwaling pulis.

“We expect him to clean up the PNP during his stint as PNP Chief as cases like then police officer Jonel Nuezca murdering unarmed civilians, police district officers red-tagging civilians without basis, police officers being cruel to quarantine violators, and other countless incidents pointing to police incompetence and abuse are still fresh in the minds of Filipinos,” ani Tulfo.

Si Eleazar ay nakatakdang magretiro pagdating sa edad na 56 sa Nobyembre 13, 2021 at bagama’t maiksi lang ang panahong ito ay umaasa ang mambabatas na malilinis nito ang PNP bago ito magretiro.

Nais naman ni Herrera na simulan ang paglilinis sa PNP sa pamamagitan ng pagpapasuot ng body camera sa mga pulis sa kanilang mga operasyon at maibalik ang tiwala ng publiko sa mga ito.

“Appropriate body cam use in law enforcement can protect the innocent and law enforcers and help mete out justice on those who choose to violate the law with impunity,” ayon pa kay Herrera.