Robredo planned to visit Cebu this week, see allies

OFFICIALS in Cebu who knew Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo remained hopeful that he and two pilots survived last Saturday’s crash, although the search yielded no good news more than 24 hours after the accident.

Consolacion Mayor Teresa Alegado, who met with the secretary when he attended a groundbreaking in the northern Cebu town last Saturday, said he was planning to return this week.

“Please tell Junjun that I’ll be back on Wednesday because we have several plans to take up,” Alegado recalled Robredo as saying.

He referred to lawyer Hilario Davide III, the Liberal Party’s leader in Cebu, who was not around during the groundbreaking ceremony of the new PNP Regional Training Center.

Davide was shocked when he heard about the crash.

“I did not even know he was in Cebu earlier that day. Let’s pray that he’s alive and the pilots, too,” Davide said.

He said that Robredo, as the LP’s executive vice-president, was a regular source of guidance for the party’s local allies.

“Let’s continue to pray that Secretary Robredo and the pilots will still be found alive and well,” said Rep. Rachel del Mar (Cebu City, north district).

Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south district) said Robredo was his close friend who had supported him when he held one of the top posts in the League of Cities. Robredo was also a city mayor when he won the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2000.

Mayor Alegado said that Secretary Robredo arrived in Consolacion past 12:30 p.m. last Saturday and they had lunch after the ground-breaking. The mayor said the secretary stayed in Consolacion for less than one hour.

“He told me he had to rush to Naga City. I asked him why he was in a hurry when a long weekend was ahead, but he said he has to attend an awarding ceremony in Naga City,” Alegado said.

A friend of the Robredos in Naga City has said the secretary was hoping to catch an awarding ceremony where his daughter would be honored.