by PAM
The vigil that started in the afternoon of Saturday came to a close this morning. Sec. Mar Roxas of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) greeted us with a sad news on our breakfast table today... and we faced the day with heavy hearts.
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A sad day.
I join the nation in grieving the untimely demise of Sec. Jesse M. Robredo of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). He was 54 years old.
The late DILG Secretary was on board a small plane, which crashed off the shore of the province of Masbate. He was on his way to spend the weekend with his family in his hometown, Naga City, from a speaking engagement on behalf of Pres. Noynoy Aquino in Cebu City last Saturday afternoon. About an hour after take off, the pilot of the plane, Capt. Jessup Bahinting, was requesting for an emergency landing in Masbate after an engine trouble became apparent. Later, Sec. Robredo's aide-de-camp, Senior Inspector June Paolo Abrazado, who escaped from the crashed plane and was rescued by local
"National loss" looming... at the Taskforce Kalihim
Command Post in Masbate.
(Photo: AP/Malacanang Photo Bureau)fishermen, was guiding rescuers in the crash scene, hoping to save Sec. Robredo, Bahinting and his Nepalese co-pilot, Kshitiz Chand.
At about 5:00 PM, I had trouble following the news from a stunned-looking Pinky Webb and Alvin Elchico on ANC, who were visibly doing their best to compose themselves and absorb the shocking news from a field reporter in Masbate. That was the start of a painful three-day vigil that started with sheer confusion, developed into incredulous ambivalence, progressed to a resolute and faithful hope for positive outcome, calmed to faithful acceptance of worst-case scenario as hope for positive outcome dwindled with time, and culminated to a sad feeling of loss - on a national scale.
P-Noy himself led the search and rescue operations in Masbate, which brought together so many people, including private individuals who volunteered their services. Meanwhile, people in different places organized prayer vigils to help propel the rescue efforts on the ground. This morning, at around 8:15 AM, Sec. Roxas confirmed that rescuers positively identified one of the trapped body in the sunken plane, some 180 ft. below the water surface, as Sec. Robredo's. And that turned the day into a day of "national mourning"... no presidential decree needed.
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But it is a day teeming with hope, too.
The outpouring of support for the rescue efforts and the towering waves of prayers from so many Filipinos from different walks of life in the hope that Sec. Robredo and his companions would escape the mishap alive was indeed remarkable. I was thinking that perhaps the crisis that we faced as a nation during the Luzon flooding just two weeks ago gave us a sense of community and "oneness"... and we were just facing yet another mega challenge with the same sense of community and oneness, armed as usual with the familiar weapon that is always guaranteed to deliver us from outright tragedy: prayer. I was only half correct.
Yes, we are slowly but surely developing a true sense of community and
Sec. Robredo: Good governance, integrity, humility.
(Photo: Jonas Cabiles Soltes/Phil. Inquirer
/Phil. Red Cross) oneness as a nation... yes, we were once again using our favorite weapon against mega challenges... and, as it turned out, most of us are silent admirers of that wonderful man who was Sec. Robredo. And why not when the "oneness" is the fruit of his silent perseverance - avoiding the limelight and working down to the grassroots... less talk, more action.
With Sec. Robredo being a low-profile leader in a high-profile position, the spontaneous outpouring of love when it was first announced that his life was in danger can be considered “unexpected”... almost surprising. And what a joyful surprise, it was! It seems to confirm one thing: Filipinos - rich and/or poor - can still recognize a good, honest and honourable leader... one who exemplifies good governance and governing with integrity, and that Filipinos gravitate toward such a leader. What a wonderful news, indeed! And, it came on the day of the 29th death anniversary of Ninoy Aquino, who reiterated until the day he was assasinated that "the Filipino is worth dying for"... that can't just be a coincidence. Providence, perhaps?
If Sec. Robredo could see how his demise made Filipinos realize and appreciate that, after all the layers and layers of corruption in the government that engulfed and suffocated us for so long, they - we - have this wonderful thing in common, then he'd know that his sacrifices weren't in vain... that all his life's work, founded on integrity in governance, was indeed a wonderful legacy that we will cherish, and hopefully live by, starting today. We can only hope that, despite their loss, his family is comforted by this realization.
Indeed, there is hope for this country - our country.
Thank you, Sec. Robredo! Rest in peace.
***
