FILE PHOTO: PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar. Screengrab from Facebook / PNP livestream
MANILA, Philippines — Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, chief of the Philippine National Police, said on Saturday that he was proud that people’s trust and confidence in the police force improved under his watch.
After six months as PNP chief, Eleazar is set to relinquish his post next week when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56 on Nov. 13.
On Saturday, Eleazar was asked what accomplishments or reforms he was proud of.
“What I can say in my short term is the continued increase of the people’s trust and confidence in the police,” he said at the Laging Handa briefing.
He said the police would be more effective in doing its job with the help and cooperation of the people.
“And for them to voluntarily give their whole-hearted support, there is a need for high confidence and respect, and this is what we saw in the past months,” he said.
This is not an assessment that comes from the PNP, but from a survey, he said.
Last month, he expressed elation over the results of a survey conducted by Publicus Asia Inc., which showed that the PNP recorded a five-point increase in total high trust and an eight-point drop in total low trust.
He attributed the improved public perception of the PNP to the efforts of its 220,000 uniformed and nonuniformed personnel.
He also said on Saturday that he had intensified the cleanliness policy in the PNP, which was anchored on the “broken windows” theory.
This theory uses the broken window as a metaphor of disorder in communities, which is linked to crime.
“We established the return of discipline, credibility, integrity of police offices, which begins with the cleanliness of facilities, particularly of the police stations, which is where people report to,” the PNP chief said.
He said confidence, dignity and sense of belongingness were brought back.
He also appealed to the public to continue to put their trust in the police.
“It is through our collaboration that we can attain and sustain peace in our areas, which would help the economic development of our communities and our country,” he said.