I’M saying this as the Palace is expected to announce before Friday the successor of the well-loved Philippine National Police chief, General Gilor Eleazar who will be retiring from the force this coming November 13.

Since 1991, I have known all the 26 PNP chiefs we have. All of them have their own style and leadership qualities that endeared many of them to the force. However, I would say that it was a future Senator and now presidential candidate, then General Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson who really became the model of many of his 18 successors, the latest of them Gen. Eleazar when it comes to managing the force and in particular, stopping corruption.

Many idealistic police officers up to now are known for following Gen. Lacson’s motto ‘”What is right must be kept right; what is wrong must be set right.” I know it since I have witnessed how Lacson eliminated the ‘kotong’ or bribery culture in the force.

On Day 1 of his being Chief,PNP, he ordered all policemen using recovered stolen motor vehicles or evidence vehicles to return them within 72-hours without any questions asked or be the subject of an investigation if they will fail to do so. His order reverberated across the country and presto, hundreds of recovered stolen motor vehicles—some of them already converted into police patrol cars-flooded Camp Crame and other police headquarters nationwide.

It’s a fact that real reforms started in the national police force when Gen. Lacson was its Chief. It was him who really initiated huge fiscal reforms in the organization when he rationalized the distribution of financial and logistical resources by downloading 85 percent to the police frontline units, retaining only 15 percent in the police headquarters.

It was him who imposed a strict physical fitness test on all PNP members, invoking a 34-inch maximum waistline for police officers. He also refused to accept bribe money from illegal gambling operators and contractors and suppliers transacting business with the PNP and is known to have declined offers of huge monetary rewards from rescued kidnapping-for-ransom victims and their thankful families.

It was Lacson who downloaded 85 percent of the PNP’s budget to improve their overall performance and most importantly, he was the one who managed to fully stop the practice of ‘kotong’ cops during those days.

Thus, when I see and hear or watch YouTube videos of Gen. Eleazar or even NCRPO chief, Major Gen. Vic Danao lecturing their men on their intensified cleanliness and fiscal reform programs each time they inspect a police station, they always remind me of a Gen. Lacson talking to his men with all candidness and humility.

History will show that under Gen. Lacson, the PNP achieved a huge 58 percent public approval rating while Lacson got a 78 percent approval rating for himself while leading the PNP from 1999 to January 2001.

The public really adored Lacson when he was the Chief,PNP and having the now defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force working for him round-the-clock. Just ask the countless jeepney, taxi, bus and other public transport and delivery van drivers and market vendors who fully benefitted from his ‘No to Kotong’ drive those days.

Gen. Eleazar had said that he is proud of the fact that the public continued to express their full trust and confidence to the police force during his 6-month term. He said that such expression of respect and confidence is what the police really need in order to be more effective in doing their job.

Yes, there are a few scoundrels in the organization who have caused major embarrassment to the PNP during Gen. Eleazar’s tenure but all of them are now in jail, either already dismissed or facing dismissal from the service and facing a lengthy jail term.

This will be another very exciting week for the country as Filipinos wait for who would be President Duterte’s 7th PNP chief. As I have previously written and confirmed by DILG Secretary Ed Año, five names coming from three different PMA clashes have been recommended to replace Gen. Eleazar of PMA ‘Hinirang’ Class of 1987.

Sec. Año previously had said that seniority and merit would be the basis of the presidential decision. However, the President’s trust and confidence will be very crucial in his decision to designate his last PNP chief seven months before he leaves the Palace.

As I have written already, Gen. Eleazar was chosen by President Duterte because of seniority, merit, service reputation and competence. This time, his would-be successors are all highly-qualified and have proven their worth when it comes to serving the country with pride and honor.

The next PNP chief’s appointment however will be crucial since he will not only be leading the organization’s war on drugs, criminality, terror and corruption but will be appointed on a time that the entire country is preparing for the 2022 national and local elections, specifically in preparing for the hotly-contested presidency. He also has to live up with the challenges of good leadership while meeting the high expectations of the general public who have watched Gen. Eleazar’s leadership.

Since the start of the Duterte presidency in July 2016, four members of PMA ‘Sinagtala’ Class of 1986 have led the PNP in succession starting from now Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa, Gen. Oscar Albayalde, Gen. Archie Gamboa and Gen. Pikoy Cascolan. The four commanded the PNP for a combined four years-and-a-half.

The 5th PNP chief designated by President Duterte was Gen. Debold Sinas, a classmate from PMA Class 1987 of Gen. Eleazar who became the 26th PNP chief last May 8.

The incoming PNP chief will be appointed as the country prepares for next year’s polls, thus he will be answerable to both the PNP’s internal and external audience.

Like Gen. Lacson and Eleazar and the rest of the former PNP chiefs, he should also have the dogged determination to do the job, the needed track record and untarnished service reputation, a ton of contribution to the country’s peace and order campaign, and most importantly, the loyalty to the Constitution and the duly-constituted authorities.