DILG chief thanks Aquino for ‘clearing’ him (5:09 p.m.)

MANILA -- Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo Friday thanked President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III for “absolving” him from accountability in connection to the bungled rescue attempt during the August 23 hostage crisis.

“I appreciate the President’s clarification of my role as the one primarily in charge of local governments, rather than the police. My mandate was clear from the very start and since the directive of the President is such, we will have to comply by it,” he said.

Earlier, the President defended Robredo from reports that he should not be part of the investigating team on the hostage crisis because of his lapses as DILG Secretary.

Some lawmakers, including Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero expected a tough grilling on Robredo once he presents his credentials before the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA).

Aquino clarified that he instructed Robredo to concentrate in developing local government units while Undersecretary Rico Puno should take care of police and public safety concerns, including the handling of hijacking incidents.

Robredo co-chairs the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) with Justice Secretary Leila de Lima probing the Manila hostage fiasco that resulted in the killing of eight Hong Kong nationals and the hostage taker, former Senior Police Inspector Rolando Mendoza. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)