Rico Puno, Live!

SOME things are but inevitable when one is in a rather awkward position that wields so much power. Expectedly, there will be those who tend to watch every move you make and every step you take, as if you belong to them.

The lines of course are extracted from The Police's "Every Breath You Take," if only to give credit where it is due and avoid being a Sottoistic plagiarist, whatever that means.

In a rather odd setting, then DILG Undersecretary Rico Puno was given exclusive powers to handle the Philippine National Police while leaving the late Secretary Jessie Robredo to handle the Local Government Units. What is peculiar about this is that, by law, the DILG Secretary sits as an ex-officio of the Napolcom which gives the Office supervision over the PNP.

Such a setting invites a bombardment of sorts and it does not lack of critiques who would venture into almost every means possible to rectify what is deemed inappropriate. Despite good performance, the premise, being out of sync with what propriety and the law dictate, totally undermines the doer's accomplishment, if there is any.

But Puno's case inaccurately fits that since his performance at the helm overshoots even the premise as to why he sits there in the first place. His action, or the lack of it, during the hostage-taking of Chinese tourists on board a bus, was a disaster that placed the country amongst the most inept in dealing with crises.

Comes now the allegations of irregularities in the botched procurement of some 60,000 pistols intended to boost the PNP and what you have is an array of questions not only on Puno's capacity but on his integrity as well.

With no less than Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago calling for an inquiry that seems much too dedicated in unearthing every negative detail about Puno’s past dealings, the beleaguered former Usec has only himself to blame for past and future dilemmas.

Guess that’s the problem when one bites off beyond what he can chew and gets to throw off all the excess of it; always a sorry sight.

Now, he may have resigned from the post but critiques and Senator Santiago for that matter are all too eager to know what Puno is made of. The public knows not much about the guy other than he is P-noy’s shooting buddy, which perhaps adds up to the curiosity.

Well, if you’re the President’s close friend and just happens to be given an influential and powerful territory, then there might just be something in you beyond those trigger-happy fingers.

So let’s see how Rico J’s namesake performs once the feisty Defensor holds the baton.

I won’t be surprised if he does “Macho Gwapito” in desperation.