NP Directorial Staff chief Guillermo Eleazar formally receives his promotion as Lieutenant General during the donning ceremony at Camp Crame on Thursday Photo by PNP

Philippine National Police (PNP) Directorial Staff chief Guillermo Eleazar on Thursday vowed to further intensify the anti-drug campaign as he formally received the rank of Lieutenant General (three-star).

“Having seen the success of the President’s war against illegal drugs, I, in my personnel and current official capacity shall intensify my efforts to win as many battles in this war (against illegal drugs),” Eleazar said in his speech after the oath-taking and donning ceremonies in Camp Crame.

Eleazar cited the crackdown not only on the drug suspects but also against the narco cops.

“Today, after decades of uncertainty, fear, and terror, the Filipino is beginning to enjoy peace of mind, a priceless commodity, a constitutional right, a heavenly gift that has eluded us for a long, long time,” he said.

One of his accomplishments as NCRPO chief was the alliance among the government’s anti-illegal drugs law enforcement groups through the Quad-Intel Force –composed of the NCRPO, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-NCR, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-NCR, and the military’s Joint Task Force NCR against drug lords operating in Metro Manila, particularly convicted drug lords who are detained at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

“I personally declared war against the big-time drug lords and cartels when I joined hands with BuCor [Bureau of Corrections] Director General Gerald Bantag in demolishing the ‘kubols’ in the Bilibid a few months back,” Eleazar said in his speech.

“In the process, General Bantag and myself must now be in the top of the hit list of the drug cartels,” he added.

Eleazar said he gave particular attention to government detention facilities, particularly the NBP, as they have become both a comfort zone and a war room of big-time drug lords in the country with the help of corrupt prison officials.

This is one of the reasons, Eleazar said, why the Philippines was plagued by illegal drug problems.

When Bantag was appointed as BuCor chief, he immediately requested for back up from Eleazar, then Metro Manila police chief, after he implemented a purging of corrupt prison guards at the NBP.

Eleazar, with a go-signal from Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, sent more than 500 policemen to act as prison guards.

“I told myself that this is the opportunity I have been waiting to finally put a stop to the glory days of these drug lords because almost all of the big operations in Metro Manila pointed to the Bilibid as the location where the command and control of drug circulation emanate,” Eleazar said.

“I am up to the challenge even if it means risking my life. I shall work to wipe out all the kubols in all other penal colonies in the country. This will be my war,” he added.

Eleazar is one of the top contenders for the country’s next PNP chief which remains vacant after the resignation of Oscar Albayalde.