DILG mourns, remembers Robredo

MANILA, Philippines – Officials and employees of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) mourned the untimely demise of their boss, the late Secretary Jesse Robredo, as work resumed Wednesday, August 22, following the long weekend.

Robredo’s plane, which was bound for Naga from Cebu, crashed off Masbate on Saturday, August 18. On Tuesday, August 21, a volunteer diver taking part in the search and rescue operations retrieved Robredo’s body from the plane wreckage, which lies 180 feet underwater and 800 meters from the Masbate shore.

The employees, who began their first working day without their beloved superior, all wore their gray uniform. They were supposed to wear their red uniform, but opted to wear the dark one to show their grief over Robredo’s passing.



Just like in most schools and government offices, the flag outside the department building was flown at half mast in honor of the late Interior Secretary.



Robredo’s office was locked and fully guarded. No one was permitted to go inside, and a CCTV camera was the only way to take a glimpse of the room.



Members of the media covering DILG said that this was the complete opposite of the situation when Robredo was still alive. One reporter shared that they, as well as most people, could easily enter the office without being blocked by security personnel.

Testimonials

The day started with a mass and vigil. The employees, directors and officials of DILG shared their experiences with the late secretary.



They all remembered Robredo as a workaholic man. Anthony Nuyda, director for internal audit service, said that Robredo was always in a hurry because he wanted to finish multiple tasks in the shortest time possible. “Two weeks after he assumed office, I told him it feels like he’s been working for two years already,” he said.

Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) President Ruben Platon said that even hours before his death, Robredo’s final activities were work-related. The two attended the ground breaking ceremony for a PPSC campus to be contructed in Consolacion, Cebu. He added that Robredo hardly touched his food because he had to rush to another engagement in Cebu.

Aside from being workaholic, Robredo’s peers said he was time conscious. Platon said he learned to adjust to Robredo’s time, who arrived 30 minutes ahead of their scheduled functions.

He added that at Consolacion, Cebu, when Robredo unexpectedly arrived late due to heavy traffic, he decided not to pass by the VIP room anymore and to use the stairs rather than wait for the elevator.

But even if he was always on the go, employees said Robredo was easy to approach. Tess Vergarodo of the Office of Public Affairs narrated that they once spotted Robredo on his slippers, and he kindly asked them to assist him to the clinic. “He was very humble. We don’t feel intimidated approaching him.”

Chief Supt. Diony Mamaril of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology said that it was Robredo who would call them when they needed him. “I’ll just send him a text message if I could call him. But it was him who would call me immediately,” he said.

Nuyda added that they even asked Robredo to sign documents inside the elevator. “He won’t ask us to go to his office anymore,” he said.

Items left

Platon said that he was scheduled to meet with Robredo afternoon today. He was supposed to give Robredo a token of appreciation for delivering a speech during the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group national summit in Mandaue, hours after the event in Consolacion.



He was also supposed to give Robredo his iPad, which he left in Cebu.

“He could have brought these (token and iPad) when he left Cebu. But I think it was meant for him to leave them so that they can be preserved,” he said. – Rappler.com