Leni Robredo says crash details no longer matter to family

Natashya Gutierrez

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The widow of the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo says she no longer thinks about the details of the plane crash because of the painful memories it brings

MOVING ON. Leni Robredo, the wife of late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, says she believes her husband's death was an accident. Adrian Portugal.

NAGA CITY, Philippines – Almost 3 months since the death of the late Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, his wife and children have chosen to detach themselves from details of how he died on August 18.

Robredo’s wife, Leni Robredo, said her family has chosen to move on from the technicalities of the crash. On Tuesday, November 13, President Benigno Aquino III disclosed the findings of a government investigation panel that blamed pilots and on-ground inspectors for the crash.

“As far as the family is concerned we have sort of detached ourselves from that because it brings back so many painful memories,” she told Rappler.

When asked if the unofficial results of the investigation first reported last week helped her in any way, she admitted these did not. 

Para sa akin I have assured myself that my husband was taken in God’s perfect time,” she said. “Whatever it was, deep inside, I believe it was an accident.”

She added: “As far as my husband is concerned, I don’t think it was tragic at all. Maybe for his family yes kasi we were not prepared for the death that befell upon him. Pero palagay ko, if he had the choice of the kind of death he would have, he would’ve chosen that,” she said.

Robredo and two others died after the plane they were riding from Cebu to Naga crashed off the island of Masbate on Saturday, August 18. Only Robredo’s aide, Jun Abarasado, survived. His testimonies were said to have been crucial in the investigation.

No doubts

Mrs Robredo also said that she trusted the government to find out the truth about the crash.

She said that she finds the investigation important for a different reason — specifically for the accident to be avoided in the future.

“If I think the investigation is important, I think so. Palagay ko it should serve as a guide for government to review its laws and regulations with regards to private plane companies,” Mrs Robredo said.

Pero yun lang (But that’s it). Palagay ko it should serve as a guide para sa gobyerno pero as far as our family is concerned, hindi na (no more).”

The Camarines Sur third district congressional candidate added that she has stopped thinking about what went wrong during the flight.

“I no longer analyze it na ‘could the accident have been prevented?’ Kasi if I do that, parang ang dami dami lang na… unpleasant emotions which will not bring my husband back anyway. So yung unpleasantness of it all, I leave that to government. As far as we are concerned, it was God’s will.”

Based on the investigation, records showed the plane underwent a test flight, but there was no record on the aircraft logbook and no flight plan was filed at the Mactan International Aiport, the President said.

The President said this is not acceptable, and evidence is still being collected for the filing of appropriate charges.

Aquino said he has ordered the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) to strengthen the CAAP, as well as other related agencies, to hasten the reform of the aviation industry. – Rappler.com

 

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Natashya Gutierrez

Natashya is President of Rappler. Among the pioneers of Rappler, she is an award-winning multimedia journalist and was also former editor-in-chief of Vice News Asia-Pacific. Gutierrez was named one of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders for 2023.