Tribute for Robredo held in Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA City Mayor Celso Lobregat led a simple yet memorable tribute for the late Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo at City Hall conference room in time for the latter’s funeral in Naga City on Tuesday.

Lobregat showed video clippings of Robredo’s messages when he came to Zamboanga City on various occasions to grace the turnover of infrastructure projects in the village of Culianan, turnover of 10 computers each to five secondary schools and five elementary schools, and the turnover of 85 firearms and ammunitions to the Zamboanga City Police Office.

For his part, police regional director Napoleon Estilles described the late Robredo as the brave among the Cabinet members as he was the first and so far the only secretary to have ever set foot in the municipality of Al-Barka, Basilan, where a number of government troopers were killed by rebels.

Last May 14, Robredo led the ground breaking ceremony signaling the start of the construction of the police station in the municipality of Al-Barka.

“He went to Albarka against the advice of the intelligence group,” Estilles said of Robredo.

Department of Interior and Local Government regional director Mohammad Taha Arakama said Robredo had instituted various reform programs that that promote transparency and good governance in local government units all over the country. (Bong Garcia)