
Newly retired Police General Guillermo Eleazar filed his candidacy for senator on Monday, November 15 – the last day of filing for substitution and withdrawal.
The former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief filed for substitution at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Intramuros, Manila. He substituted for senatorial aspirant Paolo Capino, who withdrew his candidacy due to “slim to none” chances of winning.
Even though he was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as the sixth PNP chief under his administration, Eleazar will run under Partido Reforma, led by the tandem of Senators Panfilo Lacson and Vicente “Tito” Sotto III. Lacson is also a former PNP chief.
On November 13, Lacson confirmed that Eleazar will run for the Senate as a substitute candidate. A day before that, Sotto said they were trying to convince Eleazar to run.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, November 14, Eleazar formally announced his bid for the Senate.
“Today, I accept the challenge to replicate the brand of public service that we have shown in the Philippine National Police in the past six months, I accept the challenge to work for the vision of genuine reform and transformation for the Filipino people, and I accept the challenge to run for senator of the Republic of the Philippines,” Eleazar said.
The former PNP chief, on Sunday, also took his oath as a member of Lacson’s party.
Eleazar is the most recent PNP chief to gun for a Senate seat, after Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s successful run in 2019. Dela Rosa was Duterte’s first PNP chief who also oversaw the implementation of the bloody drug war. – Rappler.com
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