MANILA – Two days after the plane carrying Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo crashed in the waters off Masbate, lawmakers yesterday still hoped for his survival and that of his two companions.

Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara (Aurora) said, "Whatever little hope there is for his (Robredo) survival, we must hang on to that hope."

"Secretary Jesse is one of the foremost practitioners of the 'daang matuwid'. While others talked the talk, he walked it, sa (mga) Pilipino hindi hanggang salita lang, hindi lip service, hindi pr (press release). Totoo siyang tao at totoo ang kanyang serbisyo (To the Filipinos, it was not just talk, not lip service, no press release…He was a true man and he served truly)," said Angara in a statement.

He said that in another country with a more developed party system, a man of Robredo's achievements at the local level could easily have risen to national prominence.

Ang Kasangga party-list Rep. Teodorico Haresco said he was deeply saddened by the tragic accident but still praying and hoping for miracles that Robredo is still alive and unharmed.

Robredo is a technocrat's Technocrat. He knew what local government needed. He acted swiftly on local concerns, especially on peace and order, Haresco said.

Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles (Davao City), on the other hand, said Filipinos should not lose hope and continue praying that the DILG Secretary made it and it's just a matter of time before he is rescued.

It's really difficult to imagine what his (Robredo) family is going through and no word is enough to give them solace. Secretary Robredo is known for his hard work, sacrifice and dedication to the Filipino people and to our nation, he said.

Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento (Western Samar) said he and Robredo shared a lot of advocacies. “Robredo is a good friend and a confidante. For the first time in our history as a nation, reforms in our local government units have begun to take shape under his watch as DILG secretary.”

Rep. Jerry Trenas (Iloilo) said he is still in shock. " Robredo is not just a friend to me but he is also someone I look up to. He is a symbol of our people's struggle to defeat everything that is wrong about our nation," he said.

Rep. Winston Castelo (Quezon City), said he was saddened by the fate that has befallen Robredo, who, he said, brought dynamism and dedication to the public and personifies integrity and selflessness in public and personal life.*PNA

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