PNP CHIEF GENERAL GUILLERMO ELEAZAR

Leading the 220,000-strong Philippine National Police (PNP) force is no easy task. But despite having only six months to serve as its chief, General Guillermo Eleazar is determined to leave his mark. And instead of changing the system by applying institutional changes, Eleazar wants to focus on strictly
implementing existing rules and laws.

“All of the necessary policies, programs, and doctrines already exist. Every past PNP Chief thought of everything to further improve the force. Even with every new situation, there are revised memorandum circulars. Everything is in place, what needs improvement is enforcing them, especially those [rules] which people tend to overlook because of the system or perhaps, culture,” Eleazar stresses.

Deep Clean
The general, therefore, does not want to uproot the system. Rather, as his legacy, he wants a “cleaner” force and country—literally and figuratively. His entire halfyear program is anchored on three major concepts—clean offices, cleaning the ranks, and cleaning the community. Without missing a beat, the seasoned officer explains his rationale behind this program which is dubbed as the “Intensified Cleanliness Policy.”

As a guide, the general says he is influenced by the “Broken Windows Theory” which is a criminology theory introduced in 1982 by two social scientists, James Wilson and George Kelling. This theory eventually became popular in the 90s in the United States when New York police commissioner William Bratton, with the support of Mayor Rudy Giuliani, used it to guide policing procedures. They named this the “Quality of Life” campaign.

Going by the name itself, the “Broken Windows Theory” states that small, visible signs of crimes (or cracks in the......