Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar has been appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte the next chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief.

He will replace Gen. Debold Sinas, who will turn over the top PNP leadership position to Eleazar on Friday (May 7).

The Palace and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) confirmed in separate statements on Wednesday the appointment of Eleazar as the next PNP chief.

“Gen. Eleazar’s track record of professionalism, dedication, and integrity speaks for itself. We are therefore confident that he will continue the reform initiatives of his predecessors and lead the police organization to greater heights. All the best to Gen. Eleazar as the new PNP Chief,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.

Secretary Eduardo Año also confirmed the appointment of Eleazar as the next PNP chief, saying said Eleazar is the best choice to lead the 220,000-strong PNP, describing him as “very qualified for the job.” Eleazar was the only one recommended by the National Police Commission (Napolcom) to succeed Sinas.

“Through a Napolcom resolution, Eleazar was recommended to be the next PNP chief based on seniority, merit, service reputation, and competence to lead the police force,” Año said.

“I expect Lt. Gen. Eleazar to lead the PNP organization to greater heights amidst the pandemic during these challenging times,” the DILG chief added.

Eleazar is the current PNP deputy chief for administration and will serve as the national police chief until November this year, as he will reach the mandatory retirement age of 56. Eleazar and Sinas both belong to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Hinirang” Class of 1987.

The next PNP chief also led the Joint Task Force Covid Shield that imposes quarantine rules and protocols, and was the chief of the National Capital Region Police Office.