ROBREDO, HERO OF THE MASSES

ROBREDO, HERO OF THE MASSES

Wilhelmina S. Orozco

A great individual had died, whether purely accidental or otherwise, the investigation will prove later on. Jesse Manalastas Robredo, the secretary of the Local Government Department of the country lost his life on the 18th of August 2012, and the masses unabashedly showed their undying grief over his immediate passing.

The department that he headed is extremely powerful as it is in touch witht he mass political base in the country. He was also in charge of the police, the armed group that deals with civilian security (ironically, he was not well-secured when he died). In other words, his post was truly a much-coveted one for all who aspire to capture the highest political power, the presidency later on.

Secretary Robredo was a no-nonsense guy and he waded through the lives of the masses without hesitancy, which then endeared him to them. From his local stints as mayor of Naga City which he transformed to a first from a third class city, to the secretaryship, his performance was not less than sterling. How do we fill in the gap now in that department that he left?

Usually, those appointed to secretaryships are people of high learning, broad experiences in the field where they would be assigned, and with good team playing traits. Robredo had all these, as he moved from one arena to another, poking his fingers into the nitty-gritty of local governance from Luzon to Mindanao, up to facing with determination the jueteng coddlers and instituting the one-strike policy, which is to remove from office any police officer whose area contained jueteng activities.

Is this what did him in?

Actually, his death strikes fear in my heart. I feel afraid that once you are exposed to the different kinds of power-wielders in our country, you could be easily done away with, unless you are fully secured around you. and that did not happen to Sec Robredo. I was glued to the radio from day one of his disappearance. The aide who saved himself first, was interviewed over the radio that saturday when he died. The aide said that he jumped from the plane. when asked why he did not bring Sec Robredo with him, he said that his seatbelt would not open. Then the following day, he was interviewed again, and he had another story: "I found myself floating asea and fisherfolks fetching me." In a matter of days he had changed his tune.

Several lessons come in now because of this "accident:"

1. We seem not to know too much about the our deep oceans. This is only the part of Masbate. How about the other 7,099 islands more? What about the seabeds around them? It seems that the Philippine Navy and the Marines have a lot of diving to do in order to give us a true picture of the deep. Maybe, our inventors could also produce a device that would allow us to live underneath the sea, for many days and months, or even years, instead of our wanting to go to and exploring Mars or the moon for possible residence or vacation.

2. Secretary-level posts should have fully armed security. Their travel plans must be scrutinized all the way. The wife of Capt. Bahinting, the pilot of the ill-fated plane, said that they had received a call on Friday that Sec robredo wanted to use the plane for travel to Naga. So between Friday and Saturday, somebody could readily tamper with the engine/s, or wing/s.

3. Although it is all right for officials to think and act like the masses, I believe that the State should provide the highest security, not onlyf rom the PNP, but also the NBI and the armed forces of the Philippines. Int he case of Sec Robredo, he was at odds with the top hierarchy of the PNP over jueteng and ergo, we could not have expected him to get a full security support from them.

4. Small planes, before taking off should have reconnoitering trips first before being allowed to fly, especially if they are carrying officials. It is difficult bringing up the likes of Sec Robredo who had the knowledge, the aptitude and the experience for serving the people. Hence his plane should have been examined -- its every screw -- before taking off.

5. The retrieval steps took so long. On day 1, the first thing that the Masbate local government should have done was sound off all the different units that could undertake the rescue. Hence, each LGU should have a list, contact number, and ready device for contacting them whenever or wherever there is an accident in their midst. They need not wait for Manila officials to give the go-signal for them to move. 

I am reminded of that time we had a flood -- the habagat flooding -- in my place. I called up the barangay to ask for food because I knew that it would take days before the waters would subside which had reached 12 feet already outside and ten feet inside our home. I was given a reply:"Wala hong abiso na magbigay kami."

I don't understand that kind of answer when this was clearly an emergency and hunger was so real. 

So many things to say, but I wait with bated breath the results of the investigation on Sec Robredo's death.