Basilan guv saddened over Robredo’s death

BASILAN Governor Jum Akbar said on Tuesday she was shocked and saddened over the death of Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo.

Robredo, and his aide, Senior Inspector Jun Abrazado, were aboard a Piper Seneca plane, piloted by Captain Jessup Bahinting with a Nepalese co-pilot Kshitz Chand that crashed last Saturday off Masbate. Abrazado was the lone survivor.

Akbar said the death of Robredo is a big loss to the Aquino administration citing the late DILG chief is a “workaholic” person.

Akbar noted that Robredo had even travelled to the hinterlands of Basilan to ensure that the basic services coming from the National Government, especially from the DILG, reached the people.

Robredo led last May 14 the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of new police stations for Isabela City and in the town of Al-Barka in Basilan province.

Akbar expressed her sympathy and condolence to the family of the late DILG chief, who she said “is one of the best cabinet secretaries of the Aquino administration.”

Robredo was also supposed to travel on Tuesday to Basilan to attend the provincial peace and order council meeting.

Robredo’s body was already shipped Tuesday to his hometown in Naga, Albay while that of Bahinting and Chand have yet to be retrieved. (Bong Garcia)