Making the nation 'Robredo-esque

The best way for the President to honor his fallen Cabinet Secretary is to ensure that the policies that ensure transparency, accountability, and popular participation which he initiated (such as the "Full Disclosure Policy" for local governments) are sustained and furthered on a national level.

One simple way to do that is by expressly endorsing as urgent the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill pending in Congress and perhaps going beyond that--by endorsing a "counter-culture" for government, where things actually get done, policies are clear, transactions are transparent, officials are accountable and information is accessible, if not in statute then in the way that government is run.


Certainly, the best way for Congress to truly honor the late Secretary is not the demeaning (to Jesse), utterly silly and self-aggrandizing proposal for its Commission on Appointments to "posthumously confirm" (sic) his appointment as Secretary but for both houses of Congress to pass the bill, as endorsed, into law without further delay.


While the proposals to name any FOI Act after the late secretary would likely meet little or no objection from those who have been actively pushing for it, the naming matters little if the substance of the statute fails to live up to the name.


Naming the law after him would be meaningless if it fails to give meaning to the freedom guaranteed under the Constitution and the spirit of transparency, accountability and change that the late Jesse Robredo had dreamed of and actually put into practice.


Calling any FOI Act the "Robredo Law" would mean nothing if the country were not thereafter made "Robredo-esque", i.e., putting in place on a national level, across all branches of government, clear-cut policies for oversight, transparency, accountability and change in governance - regardless of who the current leader is.


Making the country "Robredo-esque" in the wake of our being "Robredo-less" means that government has to be creative and passionate at looking for solutions and not just be weighed down by the inertia of tradition; it also means that government has to not only trust the people but also to truly listen to and value the people as the engine of social transformation and genuine change. It finally means that, as much as the people desire to have access to government, government must desire to have access to the people - the way that the late Secretary clearly desired and enjoyed access to the city of Naga and its people he loved passionately; government must overcome its distrust of the wide spectrum of views from the people that may often be characterized as "unsolicited advice" and learn how to harness these ideas and views (some positive, often negative, many different but also creative; but all of them impassioned) and use these as bases for governance.


Making the country "Robredo-esque" also means that the people must continue to make sure government works--to hold it accountable; to put forward solutions and ideas; to share in the work that needs to be done by giving of time, talent and treasure; to withhold criticism, if necessary; to give praise when it is due.


In an interview I read, the late Robredo refused to take credit for all the accolades he had received for himself, pointing instead to the city and the people he loved and served. By showing to the people he worked with their capacity to transform, to create change and become better, he showed exactly what that all-too-famous phrase uttered by a young American president in 1961 meant--to ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.


Our mourning will turn into dancing (Ps. 30:11) and our sadness to joy when the life that was taken from us all too soon were to be seen once again in the life of the nation that he clearly loved and tried hard to serve--in inspiration, in action, in thought, in spirit, in heart and soul.

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Sereno appointment wins high praise from senators

At least three senator-allies of President Benigno Aquino III on Friday praised the appointment of Associate Justice Lourdes Sereno as the 24th chief justice of the Supreme Court.

"We welcome the appointment of Associate Justice Maria Lourdes Punzalan Aranal-Sereno as the 24th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court," Senator Francis Pangilinan said in a statement released Friday.

"A well deserved appointment. The first lady-CJ," Senator Franklin Drilon said in a separate statement.

"It's a very good choice.  [It's] a historical move and long-term [a] strategic one," Senator Koko Pimentel said in a text message to GMA News Online.

Sereno, who was Aquino's first appointee to the Supreme Court, will serve for 18 years since the retirement age for justices is 70.  She turned 52 just last July. — VS, GMA News

Pangilinan and Drilon, who are members of Aquino's Liberal Party, said Sereno will have the "opportunity to institute reforms" in the judiciary.

"We hope her relative youth and her passion and dynamism will invigorate the moribund and antiquated system of justice in the country. Nothing less than sweeping and comprehensive reforms will do to ensure that the crisis facing the judiciary will be overcome, and we will need the energy, creativity and stamina of a new generation of jurists to do just that," said Pangilinan.

Pimentel, who will also run under Aquino's LP in the upcoming 2013 elections, likewise said, "Now, the chief justice cannot use the lack of time as an excuse not to be able to pursue and implement her vision for the judiciary."

Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente Sotto III, for his part, said that the appointment was a "presidential prerogative."

"If she is the choice, then let's hope for a more vibrant SC and judiciary," he told GMA News Online in a text message on Friday.

Sereno will be replacing former chief justice Renato Corona, who was unseated by the Senate in a historic 20-3 vote after a four-month trial that started on Jan. 16.

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Meeting of typhoons: No strong attraction seen between ‘Igme’ and ‘Julian’

MANILA, Philippines—There’s a good chance that exiting Typhoon Igme (international name: Tembin) will meet the approaching Typhoon Julian (Bolaven) in the next 24 hours, but the state weather bureau does not see a strong attraction between them.

At midday Wednesday, Igme continued to approach Taiwan, moving in a west-northwest direction at 7 kph, and still packing maximum sustained winds of 140 kph and with gusts reaching 170 kph, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services (Pagasa) said.

“It will probably make landfall in Taiwan by (Thursday) morning,” said Pagasa forecaster Nikos Peñaranda.

But Igme may still be inside the country’s area of responsibility when another weather disturbance, Julian, makes its way toward the Philippine area of responsibility, he said in a radio interview.

“Yes, while Igme is exiting on Thursday afternoon, Bolaven may enter PAR [Philippine area of responsibility] around tomorrow afternoon or Friday morning. There’s a possibility they will meet,” Peñaranda said.

Even so, “there’s only a minimal chance of strong interaction between them, or the Fujiwara effect,” he said, referring to the phenomenon defined by the US National Weather Service as the tendency of two nearby storms to move around a common pivot.

Instead, what may happen, according to Peñaranda, is that Igme’s exit will be slower than earlier expected.

As of early Wednesday, Julian was observed 1,600 kilometers east of extreme northern Luzon. It is not expected to directly hit and it may only enter a corner of the Philippine territory “far from the Luzon landmass,” the forecaster said.

Public Storm Signal No. 1 remained hoisted over the Batanes group of islands due to Igme, indicating gusts of wind not exceeding 60 kph as well as rains, Pagasa said.

Pagasa warned that some areas on the eastern seaboard of Luzon will experience strong waves, and advised fishing boats and other small seacraft against venturing out to sea.

Igme is still seen to bring moderate to heavy rainfall, of 10–20 mm per hour, in areas within 250 kilometers of its center.

Weather in Metro Manila and other western sections of Luzon will only see sporadic rains, but the weekend may bring in heavier rainfall, especially on Sunday, because of the southwest monsoon being pulled by Julian, Peñaranda said.

But Pagasa does not expect strong, continuous rainfall as in the previous weeks.

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Aviatour planes grounded as gov’t readies full-scale probe

ANILA, Philippines – The entire fleet of Aviatour Air, owner of the airplane that crashed off the coast of Masbate Saturday and killed Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and two pilots, has been grounded pending investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel Roxas II said in a statement released Wednesday that he has ordered CAAP director general William Hotchkiss III to conduct a thorough investigation into the plane crash.

Following the order, senior members of the aircraft accident investigation and inquiry of CAAP were seen at the command center in La Sala Resort, which is less than a kilometer from the crash site.

Aviatour operates a fleet of 54 aircraft. It has the largest fleet of Cessna 152 and Cessna 172 aircraft in the Philippines, according to its website.

Captain Jessup Bahinting, chairman and CEO of Aviatour Air, was the pilot of the Piper Seneca plane with co-pilot Nepalese flight student Kshitiz Chand. The plane had requested to make an emergency landing at the Masbate airport after it encountered engine trouble but crashed 500 meters from the runway.

A composite team, headed by Captain Amado H. Soliman, an aviation industry expert in flight safety for over four decades, Captain Ramon V. Flores, and Captain Elmer F. Pena, has been formed to conduct the investigation, it said.

“General Hotchkiss said a suspension order has been issued by CAAP grounding all aircraft used by Aviatour Air pending result of the full-blown investigation,” the statement said.

The wreckage of the plane will be kept in Masbate airport under tight security so it can be thoroughly examined by the CAAP investigation team to determine the cause of the accident, Hotchkiss said.

The investigation into Saturday’s crash will start as soon as the wreck is raised from the bottom of the Masbate Pass.

Army Major General Eduardo del Rosario, head of “Task Force Kalihim,” made this announcement at a news briefing in Masbate City on Wednesday.

The Coast Guard ship BRP Edsa,  which is equipped with a decompression chamber to treat divers suffering from decompression sickness or “bends,” and Navy’s BRP Ang Pangulo, are both on standby to assist the divers in the difficult task of retrieving the bodies of the pilots and the plane’s fuselage itself.

“In spirit, he is here. Ang Pangulo (the President) is here,” said Del Rosario, when asked about the presence of the Navy ship bearing the official seal of the President.

Two  smaller vessels, two aircraft  and a handful of rubber boats are what’s left of the massive air and sea search and rescue operations that started over the weekend and were presided over, for at least two days, by President Benigno Aquino III.

Until Tuesday, before the body of Robredo was finally retrieved from a depth of 54 meters, the massive search was a combined effort of uniformed services—Coast Guard, Navy, Army Philippine National Police— and volunteer divers, involving 600 individuals, 17 ships of various sizes, and 9 aircraft.

But with fewer people and without the presence of top honchos of the government, a semblance of order has been restored on the ground.

This is a far cry from the frenzy of the first three days of the search and rescue operations, when the top brass of the AFP and most influential members of the Cabinet surrounded Aquino as he personally supervised the search and rescue operations.

On Wednesday briefings for the media were conducted on schedule, food and beverages provided by the provincial government flowed freely, and military divers were accessible to the press.

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Robredo wake begins in Naga City at Archbishop's Palace

Residents of Naga City lined up outside the Archbishop's Palace to pay their respects to their late former mayor and Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, after his remains were brought there late Tuesday.

 

The residents recalled the small but important reforms Robredo put in place when he was mayor, according to a report by radio dzBB's Manny Vargas.

 

Security was tight at the Archbishop's Palace, with media covering the event kept at a distance.

 

Robredo's casket was closed, but near it was a collage of smaller photos that formed an image of a smiling Robredo, the report said.

Masses were scheduled at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., the report added.

 

The report said the residents recalled Robredo's simple lifestyle and his being accessible. Many referred to him as "Pogi," a Filipino word meaning "handsome."

 

Among Robredo's "legacies" were residents learning not to litter, and nightclubs operating without the music blaring through the neighborhoods.

 

Robredo's remains were recovered Tuesday from a Piper aircraft that crashed off Masbate while en route to Naga from Cebu last Saturday.

The plane's pilot and co-pilot also died in the crash. Only Robredo's aide survived the incident.

 

On Tuesday night, Robredo's remains were brought to the Archbishop's Palace, with his fraternity "brods" among those accompanying the remains.

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Philippines won’t give up hope on Robredo

MANILA, Philippines –Philippine rescuers stepped up the search for Interior Secretary  Jesse Robredo on Monday, two days after he went missing in an airplane crash at sea.

Military helicopters were expanding the areas they were surveying while special divers arrived in the central island of Masbate to help locate the plane of Robredo that crashed on Saturday.

President Benigno Aquino had spent the night on the central island of Masbate to monitor the search for Robredo who is both a key aide and a close personal friend.

However, Transport Secretary Mar Roxas, who is also monitoring the search, conceded, “there has been no positive news”.

“This is still search and rescue. The president has been here all night and he monitored the search to make sure all agencies of government are doing everything they can,” he  said in a television interview from Masbate.

The plane carrying Robredo, an aide and two pilots went down about a kilometer (0.6 miles) from Masbate on Saturday. So far only the aide has been rescued.

Helicopters are now searching a wide area of sea and surrounding islands while special equipment has arrived in Masbate to allow divers to reach a depth of 300 feet (91 metres) where the plane might lie, Roxas said.

“We are hoping we might spot something on an isolated coast somewhere,” he said.

Some wreckage from the plane and even the flight manifest have been recovered from the water but the sea bed is so deep that ordinary scuba divers cannot reach it.

Despite the dimming hopes, the Aquino government is still holding a vigil at a Roman Catholic chapel for Robredo who was an early supporter of the president and a key leader in the government’s reformist program.

As interior secretary, Robredo was in control of the country’s 143,000-strong national police force which has long been dogged by accusations of corruption and abuse.

He also oversaw local government officials including some politicians who use private armies to enforce their will.

In recent months, he had been cracking down on financial irregularities in the police and working to dismantle the private armies ahead of national elections in 2013.

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Diving, aerial operations for Robredo to resume Monday morning

MANILA, Philippines – Surface search and rescue operations will continue all night but diving and aerial operations for missing Interior Secretary Jessie Robredo and his companions have been suspended for the day and will resume Monday morning.

These were the updates posted by Transport Secretary Mar Roxas in his Twitter account Sunday night.

“Surface SAR to continue all night combined with towing the sonar finder thru the area. Diving and air SAR (search and rescue) suspended for the evening and to resume tomorrow morning,” he tweeted.

He added they have been able to secure Trimix (breathing gas which allows divers to go as deep as 400 feet) for Monday’s diving operations.

Meanwhile, President Benigno Aquino III who flew in to Masbate Sunday morning to oversee the search and rescue operations for Robredo will be staying overnight in the province to continue monitoring developments, the chief executive said in his Twitter Sunday night.

The Fleet Marine Ready Force (FMRF) of the Philippine Navy said it will set up an advance command post in Masbate to help in the rescue operations for Robredo and his companions.

The team will be led by Commodore Alexander Lopez who immediately flew in to Masbate after a mission briefing from Navy Chief Vice Admiral Alexander Pama at the Navy Headquarters, said Navy spokesman Colonel Omar Tonsay on Sunday.

The post will serve as on-scene naval contingent in the area, he added.

The logistics support vessel of the Navy, the BRP Bacolod City (LC550), is expected to arrive in Masbate Monday and will serve as command and control center of the FRMF operational staff, Tonsay said.

The BRP Bacolod City will assist to sustain  efforts of search and rescue operations, particularly the replenishment of naval operating vessels and the billeting and decompression chamber of divers; control navy ships included in the operations; and provide support to the combined United States and Philippine Navy hydrographic team who use the portable light scanner, added Tonsay

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