Government to set state funeral for Robredo

MANILA, Philippines - The Aquino administration will accord the late Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo a state funeral befitting presidents and selected individuals who contributed greatly to the country.

Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III yesterday said the family of Robredo has accepted President Aquino’s offer of a state funeral, including full military honors, for Robredo.

“As you know, at present an honor guard from the Philippine National Police (PNP) is standing vigil at the Archbishop’s Palace in Naga City where the remains of the secretary will be until Friday,” Quezon said.

Robredo’s remains will be brought to Malacañang tomorrow and will return to Naga City for burial on Tuesday.

Quezon said they were aware of the calls for a hero’s burial and conferment of awards on Robredo but these would still have to be discussed by officials and the family of the late secretary.

“The President has given very clear instructions that the highest possible honors and tributes should be given to the late secretary. But, at the same time, he has also been very conscious of the need to do this in consultation with the family,” Quezon said.

According to Quezon, various uniformed services including the PNP, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Presidential Security Group (PSG) will render honors for Robredo.

There will be opening of a book of condolence in Philippine consulates and embassies overseas.

Yesterday, the Department of Foreign Affairs opened a book of condolence for members of the diplomatic corps in Manila.

“In consultation with the media, people are encouraged to use the unified hashtag #salamatjesse for their Twitter messages. We also invite all those who wish to share their thoughts, memories, and messages of sympathy for the Robredo family to please visit www.gov.ph/salamatjesse which has been established by the Official Gazette in partnership with the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) and Team Robredo,” Quezon said.

He said the wake will be held for two nights at Malacañang’s Rizal Hall.

Family’s request

Meanwhile, the request of the Robredo family to open his casket so they could see and touch him for the last time was turned down by Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas yesterday.

The casket with Robredo’s remains was sealed, Roxas said.

He said he courteously turned down the “only request” of the family to ease their pain of loss, hinting that the body was already in its early stage of decomposition.

He said after he explained why they could no longer open the casket, Robredo’s wife Leni and their three daughters reluctantly acquiesced.

Relatives, friends and supporters continued to gather at his wake at the Good Shepherd Chapel inside the Archbishop’s Palace in Naga City.

Meanwhile, evangelist Pastor Apollo Quiboloy told The STAR said he was devastated upon learning that the private plane carrying Robredo crashed in the waters off Masbate just an hour after they attended the national summit of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group held at Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City in Cebu.

“When I go to Davao, I’ll go to your place, Pastor. Your place is so beautiful,” Quiboloy quoted Robredo as telling him before he rushed to the Mactan International Airport for his flight to his hometown of Naga City.

The pastor said that was his first and last encounter with Robredo.

Quiboloy led the opening prayer during the summit.

He said he never expected Robredo to seek him out and talk to him during a break at the summit.

“I only see you on TV. I watch your TV program everyday,” was how Robredo greeted Quiboloy when they met.

The evangelist said Robredo asked him where the gatherings of the congregation were usually held as these have been attended by thousands of Quiboloy’s followers.

Robredo also talked to Quiboloy about the proposed division of Camarines Sur province, which he initially opposed but later agreed to in a bid to hasten development in the Southern Tagalog region.

Quiboloy said that after the burial of Robredo, he will personally invite the widow and three daughters to visit the congregation’s Kingdom compound and the Prayer Mountain and Glory Mountain in Barangay Tamayong, Davao City.

“I hope the wife and the three children of the secretary could come and visit us here in Davao City to fulfill one of his last wishes, which was to visit us here,” Quiboloy said, adding that he could never forget how the DILG chief waved goodbye to the summit participants. – With Cet Dematera, Edith Regalado