GENERAL Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar will be leaving the Philippine National Police this week proud of his major achievement over the past six months: a growing trust and confidence of the public in the police force sworn to ‘serve and protect’ them.

“What I can say in my short time is the continued increase in people’s trust and trust in the police,” the outgoing 26th PNP chief replied when asked what achievements or reforms he was proud of during the Laging Handa briefing last week.

The member of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) ‘Hinirang’ Class of 1987 who will mark his 56thbirthday this coming Saturday expressed confidence that the 220,000-strong police force would be more effective in carrying out their job with the cooperation of the citizenry.

“And for them to voluntarily give their full support, there is a need for great trust and respect, and that’s what we’ve seen in recent months. This is not an evaluation that comes from the PNP, but from a survey, the proud native of Tagkawayan, Quezon said.

Gen. Eleazar was euphoric over the results of a survey conducted by Publicus Asia Inc., last month which showed that PNP recorded a five-point increase in high total confidence and an eight-point decline in low total confidence.

He said that this could be attributed to the public’s perception regarding their continuing internal cleanliness program anchored on the ‘broken window policy.’ The PNP chief is known for his no-nonsense policy against misfits and scalawags in the force while ensuring that all PNP officers, headquarters and camps will be clean and tidy.

“We have established the return of the discipline, the credibility, the integrity of the police offices, which begins with the cleaning of the facilities, especially the police stations, to which people report,” he said.

The top cop renewed his call for the citizenry to continue to place their trust in their police in order for them to regain their ‘trust, dignity and a sense of belonging.’

Last Sunday, the PMA honored Gen. Eleazar with a testimonial parade and review at For del Pilar in Baguio City.

In his speech, the PNP chief xpressed 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,” he 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.

Gen. 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,” Gen. Eleazar pointed out.

He also told the PMA cadets to see to it that they won’t put to waste the solid skills they will be getting from PMA.

Gen. 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.

He cited his ICP program which was 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 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,” Gen. Eleazar stressed.

Gen. Eleazar 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.