‘We’re doing everything to save a good man’ – Roxas

MANILA, Philippines – Air and underwater search and rescue operations for Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo have been suspended Saturday night but “on the surface, tuloy ang search and rescue all night,” said Department of Trasportation and Communication (DOTC) Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.

“We just want to do everything we can. Secretary Jess is a decent and good man. Everybody here (offer their) prayers and novena. They just want to do all. Matinong tao talaga siya. He deserves every help that we can give him,” Roxas told Rappler after the vigil for Robredo at 1230 a.m. on Sunday, August 19.

The plane carrying Robredo and three others, including the pilots, crashed on its way to the Masbate airport at 4:30 p.m. President Aquino and Roxas are scheduled to fly to the crash site early Sunday morning.

Roxas is on top of the search and rescue operations for Robredo. Both the Coast Guard and Civial Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) are under DOTC. Both members of the Liberal Party and Aquino’s Cabinet, Roxas and Robredo are also very close.

Robredo was in Cebu Saturday to attend a DILG event. He was originally booked for a 3:50 p.m. Cebu Pacific flight back to Manila but he took an offer from a friend to fly directly to Naga City.

“That would save him the car ride from Manila to Naga,” Roxas said. He was supposed to spend the long weekend with his family.

‘We can’t lose him’

Friends and supporters of Robredo gathered at the National Shrine of the Divine Child inside the La Salle Greenhills (LSGH) Saturday night to pray for Robredo’s successful rescue. It was organized by presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda and peace adviser Secretary Ging Deles.

“We are hopeful he will be found…. Matinong tao si Secretary Robredo. I can say that 4 or 5 times. I can magnify that. Siya ay matinong government official. Hindi siya dapat mawala,” said Lacierda.

Robredo’s collegues in the Cabinet, Liberal Party, and friends from the civil society attended the vigil.

“We’re still hopeful. Hopefully he’s floating somewhere. Tomorrow is a new day. We’ll find Secretary Jess,” said Quezon Rep. Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada, a longtime colleague at the Liberal Party and good governance group Kaya Natin.

“We can’t lose a good man,” added Vincent Lazatin, executive director of Transparency and Accountability Network (TAN). – Rappler.com

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