The Robredo brand of governance

MANILA, Philippines - Despite his passing in a tragic plane accident in 2012, the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo continues to be a constant and reassuring presence to his family and his former constituents.

His wife, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, says her work – constituency duties and lawmaking – in the House of Representatives became somewhat easier because many people knew Jesse well.

“Now that I’m in the world that he was, the more we feel his presence. Many people come to me to help me because they knew Jesse and trusted him, so people are more trusting of me. His reputation preceded me,” Leni says.

She says she was able to forge partnerships with several private sector groups for feeding programs and education projects in her congressional district because they believed in Jesse.

She says she also learned a lot from her husband on how to deal with frustrations in genuine public service, since his long stint as mayor of Naga City to becoming the interior and local governments chief. 

“When he was mayor, his philosophy was simple: ‘the buck stops with me’ but when he became secretary, he realized that he was working with a team – the Cabinet – and many other personalities and agencies. For him, that was a source of frustration but later he told me that he would simply do his utmost best within the limited authority that was given to him,” Leni says. 

She says she is also often confronted with difficulties in her legislative work but has come to terms with them, remembering her husband’s advice to work hard within the current constraints.

“Sometimes, I’ve asked myself if I’m really ready, or am I in the right field, but I’ve been inspired by my husband to be realistic in some expectations and push really hard,” she says.

Community work, however, is not new to Leni, since she had been involved in it even when she was still a practicing lawyer. She had worked for more than 10 years with an NGO, Saligan, a national lawyers’ group that helps farmers, women and children, the urban and rural poor and other marginalized sectors to be aware of their rights and improve their welfare.

Her work, among others, involved legal clinics, pro-bono services and even translating to the local dialects certain laws relevant to a situation.

“We capacitate them because if you know what your rights are, you can have a say in improving your welfare even if you’re marginalized,” Leni says.

She says she has somehow assimilated Jesse’s public service ethos that made shifting from NGO work to government service smoother.

“I really enjoy constituency work, not a week goes by that I don’t go down to the community,” she says.

Jesse Robredo was known for putting his family first. After he passed away Leni had to take the role of father and mother, as well as public servant and advocate.

 “Still coping”

 Leni recalls Jesse was in a hurry to go home on Aug. 18, 2012 to watch their daughter’s swimming competition in Naga City that was so typical of him, putting his family first, and shielding them from the travails and intrigues of his job. 

The Piper Seneca plane he and his party were in crashed off Masbate island shortly after its pilot sent a distress signal and requested an emergency landing at the province’s airport.

Robredo’s body was recovered three days later by divers some 800 meters from shore.

“He always made it a point that we’re all present in every meal. That was easy when he was mayor but when he became secretary, it was very difficult for him, so he compensates by calling and texting as often as he could,” she says.

During those times, Leni says she was able to compensate by being present as she was not as busy as her husband. But now that she is continuing Jesse’s advocacies, she’s feeling the pressure.

“Sometimes, the girls ask why I’ve entered this life – they don’t like this. All their lives I’ve been a full-time mom. Now, I’ve to be both a mother, a father and a public servant – this is all too much, too sudden for them,” she says.

“They’re thinking that this is a temporary thing. The possibility of my reelection is somehow acceptable to them but these talks of me seeking higher office stresses them,” she says.

 Jesse’s brand of governance

Leni says her husband’s belief is that performance is the best campaign spiel for any elective official and that if one involves the people in governance, everybody gains.

She says what’s important to her is making sure that the people themselves change their views of the government and their roles and relationships vis-à-vis government officials.

“If the people are more involved with their government, they will demand more from the government, but at the same time feel more responsible and participate in projects, because their welfare is at stake,” Leni says.

She says the quality and effectiveness of government projects are greatly improved with the inputs of ordinary people and officials are forced to be transparent.

“The traditional view is that since we are elected, we have the monopoly of ideas. But a critical audience, stakeholders, can be very collaborative,” Leni says.

Leni is presently pushing for the immediate passage of bills that promote transparency and empowerment of the people, including the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill.

 The FOI Bill has been approved by the committee on public information but has yet to be tackled in the plenary.

She also is working on the approval of House Bill 19 or the proposed Full Disclosure Act that requires all government agencies – from the executive, legislative and judiciary – to conspicuously disclose their budgets and financial transactions, and not just report incomes and expenses.

“If the people are actually given a space to participate in government, our government will become more responsive, sensitive and deliver better services,” Leni says.