Guillermo Eleazar promoted to three-star general

Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, the PNP chief of the directorial staff, takes his oath for his promotion as lieutenant general at Camp Crame in Quezon City on Thursday, December 5, 2019. Photo by Cathrine Gonzales/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Major General Guillermo Eleazar, the chief of the directorial staff of the Philippine National Police (PNP), was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, a three-star rank.

Eleazar, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Hinirang Class of 1987, is one of the candidates recommended by Interior Secretary Eduardo Año to President Rodrigo Duterte to be the next chief of the 190,000-strong police force.

His promotion, which took effect on November 29, was made official in an oath-taking and donning-of-rank ceremony dedicated for him at Camp Crame, Quezon City on Thursday.

Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa, PNP officer-in-charge, whom Eleazar described during his speech as one of his “mentors,” administered the latter’s oath.

As chief of the directorial staff, Eleazar holds the fourth highest position in the PNP. He was the director of the National Capital Region Police Office before being appointed to this post.

This promotion places him in the same rank as other candidates for PNP chief, namely Gamboa, also the PNP deputy chief for administration, and Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan, the PNP deputy chief for operations.

Should he be chosen to be the next PNP chief, he will hold the post for two years as he is set to retire upon reaching 56 years old on November 2021.