Quest for a new Ombudsman

I think one of the greatest challenges of the Aquino administration is the controversy surrounding the sudden resignation of Transportation and Communication Secretary Ping de Jesus.

His exit is believed to have been caused by the insistence of P-Noy to hold on to a shooting buddy as head of the Land Transportation Office. Now the minority is taking advantage of the resignation of Secretary Ping to place  favorites of P-Noy who are under investigation like Interior Local Government Undersecretary Rico Puno and Malacañang Chief of Staff Paquito Ochoa.

If I were the president, I would welcome the investigation to clear my  name and the names of those accused by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman. But  the president should continue to work and not be dismayed by  attacks  coming from the minority group.

One of the things that the President should focus on is the appointment of the new Ombudsman, who plays a crucial role in his  administration.

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is now  objecting to the nomination of the Judicial and Bar Council of Justice Conchita Carpio Morales as Ombudsman because of  previous cases filed against Arroyo.

The JBC should see to it that they  appoint someone who is independent and fair regardless of  nuisance objections.

Nominees for the Ombudsman post are impressive. There is former Solicitor General Frank Chavez who has a track record of going after grafters in the government. There are more highly qualified nominees. This is why the JBC should screen very carefully all  nominees.

Politicking in the nomination process should be thrown out of the window. From hereon, the President should be serious in his choice of appointees and his dealings with his friends and  classmates in the cabinet to avoid criticisms about his management style. Many Filipinos expect  much from this administration.

Though the appointment of Mar Roxas as the new head of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC)  has been hailed as a good choice, not all are  happy because DOTC secretaries don’t have a track record of becoming president of the country.

For  Mar Roxas, this is another sacrifice on his part. I don’t know if he still harbors  presidential ambitions.  If he does, the DOTC portfolio is not his vehicle. Some quarters say Vice President Jejomar Binay still has the upper hand with his mandate in the 2010 election.