On dad’s death anniversary, Aquino brings home a dead colleague

MASBATE CITY, Philippines – On the 29th death anniversay of his father, President Benigno Aquino III arrived here Monday noon to bring home his friend and colleague, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, who died in a crash Saturday, August 18 and whose body was recovered today, Tuesday, August 21.

Shortly before 12 noon Tuesday, Robredo’s body was brought to a C-130 plane of the Armed Forces at the Masbate airport, accompanied by the President and Cabinet Secretaries Mar Roxas, Florencio Abad, Voltaire Gazmin, Ricky Carandang, and other government officials. He was given military honors at the airport. Robredo was 54.

At around 12:20 noon, the C130 plane left for Naga, where the Robredos live and where he served as mayor for close to two decades.

The 52-year-old President supervised the search and rescue operations for Robredo and his two pilots since Sunday, August 19. He decided to leave for Manila Monday night, August 20, to commemorate in Manila the 29th death anniversary of his father, the late Sen Benigno Aquino Jr.

Little did he know that August 21 would bring him yet another bad news about a man close to his heart. 

When Senator Ninoy Aquino was shot at the then Manila International Airport on Aug 21, 1983, the younger Noynoy Aquino – then 23 years old – was with his mother, Cory, and siblings in Boston. – with reports from Rupert Ambil/Rappler.com

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• PNoy’s promises to Robredo’s wife
• ‘Robredo accident eye-opener for Masbate’
• Robredo family: We’re bracing for worst
• Divers go deeper in search and rescue
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• Robredo aide recounts to Aquino what happened
• VLOG: Masbate somber but hopeful for Robredo rescue