THE latest word I got from sources familiar with the decision-making process in Malacañang is that they tried again -- but failed -- to convince former defense secretary and losing presidential candidate, Gibo Teodoro, to take the post of Ombudsman which is now vacant with the resignation of Merceditas Gutierrez.

Right after Teodoro’s name was floated by Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, Teodoro hastily issued a statement rejecting the proposal offhand.

But come to think of it, dear readers, Sen. Santiago got her man right when she proposed Gibo for the post -- a bar topnotcher, unblemished record in public service, a man of principle and someone who can really restore the credibility of any office he occupies, especially the tarred and graft-ridden Office of the Ombudsman.

Then too, the (failed) effort that purportedly happened on Thursday evening to convince Teodoro to take the post is also another way of saying how people in Malacañang who are really serious in initiating reforms in P-Noy’s administration view the other characters, err, personalities, lusting, oops, eyeing to become the next Ombudsman -- wala silang “K,” hahaha!

And since Teodoro would not to take it, then Malacañang should also take the hint from him and altogether dropped those names short listed by the Judicial and Bar Council for the position but who also voiced their “non-interest,” like DOJ Sec. Leila de Lima.

Huwag ipilit kung ayaw, ’di ba, mga kabayan? ’Yun nga lang, ayaw ba talaga ni Sec. de Lima sa posisyon, NPC Dir. Percy “Lapid Fire” Lapid o, “pakiyeme” lang, hehehe!

At any rate, sources also said the (imminent) entry of former Sen. Mar Roxas as “chief of staff” to P-Noy is also expected to bring in much needed changes -- for the better of course -- in the composition of some agencies and offices in the executive department.

Dapat na rin daw mag-ingat, Marissa V ng Corinthians at Lance G. ’yung mga nang-iintriga at balak pang magpondo ng demolition job laban kay Sen. Mar huwag lang siyang makabalik sa kahit anong puwesto sa gobyernong Aquino dahil siguradong may “resbak,” kaya...Abangan!

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The sooner our officials, especially in the PNP and the DILG dropped the notion of “junior officer” in their vocabulary, the better for the morale of our policemen.

For decades now, tagging somebody as a “junior officer” has always been the “APE” (all-Purpose Excuse) of the syndicate, err, of those in the decision-making level of the PNP to justify why an officer cannot be given promotion or position no matter how meritorious or deserving he or she is.

Yet, when one looks at this “justification” closely, it has no basis at all except to kill the meritocracy system and promote nepotism and corruption in the PNP.

Friends of mine in the national police fast getting dismayed over the worsening system of promotion and designation in their organization under P-Noy are now saying that if truth be told, they find this paternalistic description as downright insulting.

If we go “by the book,” they said, there are just three levels of rank in the PNP -- the junior officer rank (lieutenant to captain), the senior or field rank (major to colonel) and the star rank.

Eh, bakit daw kahit mga full colonel na sila at may mga estrelya na sa balikat, mahigit 20 taon na sa serbisyo, “junior officer” pa rin ang tawag sa kanila ng kanilang mga opisyal kapag nagtatanong sila kung kailan naman sila mabibigyan ng pagkakataon sa promosyon at mga  sensitibong posisyon?

At siyempre pa, mga kabayan, tumibay ang baluktot na pananaw at katwirang ito dahil hindi nga naman kinukuwestyon ng mga opisyales sa DILG, Kongreso at Malacañang!

Indeed, recalling former Chief PNP Jess Verzosa’s statement at last year’s Senate probe of the embarrassing hostage-taking situation by a disgruntled Manila police officer in Luneta, it was peppered all throughout with the word, “junior officer.”

“Eh kailan pa kami tatawaging “senior officer,” kapag nagretiro na kami,” tanong ng mga kausap ko, SILG and Napolcom chairman, Jesse Robredo. May katwiran ’di ba?

Then of course, their disgruntlement is also centered on what they perceived as the “overbearing influence” exerted over their career and advancement in the PNP by Usec. Rico Puno.

As everyone knows and despite his admission of ignorance on police matters, Puno, as PNP overlord, err, overseer, is getting his authority directly from none other than P-Noy.

Yet, presidential uncle Peping Cojuangco, PNP officers who find the situation “stifling,” said they are now also reviewing their law books and the Constitution to find out for themselves on what basis P-Noy empowered his “best friend” to handle the fate of hundreds of our senior and star-rank police officers.

Baka daw kasi “nagkamali” si P-Noy sa detalye ng appointment ni Usec Puno eh maging batayan pa ito ng impeachment laban sa kanya.

In short, “nagmamalasakit” ang mga opisyal na  ito sa ating mahal na pangulo, press Asec. Rey Marfil. ’Yun na.

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