Robredo known for ‘tsinelas’ leadership

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Whether responding to disasters or planning how to rescue flood victims at emergency Cabinet meetings, Jesse Robredo would always turn up looking so cool in tsinelas (rubber slippers). The image defined him, and Energy Secretary Rene Almendras, speaking at a necrological service for the late secretary of the interior in Malacañang on Saturday night, called it Robredo’s “tsinelas brand of leadership.”

It was the last night of the state vigil for Robredo in the Palace and members of the Cabinet gave their departed colleague a merry, song-filled tribute before his family took his body back to his hometown in Naga City on Sunday morning.

The colleague Cabinet members called “Pogi”—handsome —died in a plane crash in Masbate province on August 18, leaving President Aquino suddenly without a popular and respected ally to handle the consolidation of local power as his administration faced its first local and congressional elections next year.

Cabinet secretaries, along with Vice President Jejomar Binay and Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., remembered Robredo in songs, laughter and speeches.

As mourners filed past Robredo’s bier at Kalayaan Hall, they performed Robredo’s favorite songs in between eulogies, drawing smiles from the
President and Robredo’s widow, Leni, and daughters Aika, Patricia and Jillian.

Eulogy

In his eulogy titled “Tsinelas,” Almendras recalled that when
Aquino called an emergency meeting in the military headquarters in the aftermath of the August 7 massive flooding in the capital, he was amused to see Robredo looking so cool in rubber slippers.

Days later, he said, when the President and the Cabinet officials motored to evacuation centers, Robredo disappeared from the van, but showed up later on stage, wearing slippers. Robredo came prepared, as they waded in floods at the entrance to a school in Valenzuela City.

“He’d tell me: ‘Pare, this is the right footwear for floods. Flood victims use slippers,’” Almendras said. He described Robredo’s tsinelas leadership as a “pragmatic” and “a more demonstrative version of servant leadership.”

As Almendras sees it, Robredo’s leadership has many features. The first, Almendras said, is willingness to wade in floods and travel to the most far-flung areas “to be with the most disadvantaged people.”

“We all know Secretary Jesse rarely said no. That’s why he was one of the most well-traveled Cabinet members. He went to many places where some of us could not go to,” he said.

The presence of mourners from Mindanao during the first night of the vigil on Friday was a testament to how far Robredo would go “just to reach people,” he added.

Another characteristic of Robredo’s leadership, he said, was breaking down the barriers “between us and the people we serve.”

“Many years ago, a young architect told me: I will design it so nicely so that those shod in slippers will be shy to get in. We’re here in Malacañang; we’re here at Kalayaan Hall. Look around you. This place was not designed for tsinelas. And yet last night, and throughout most of today, how many thousands of slippers came into this room to pay tribute, to pay homage and honor to Secretary Jesse?” Almendras said, referring to the mourners filing into the American-era hall to pay their last respects to Robredo.

“Leaders must be acceptable, accessible to those they serve. That was Secretary Jesse Robredo,” he added.

And, of course, what is tsinelas leadership but being casual with people?

Almendras said: “But really wearing slippers is the most casual form. Being casual is being warm. Leaders must be casual with the people they serve so that they can listen, hear and empathize with the people that they serve. That was Secretary Jesse Robredo in its truest form.”

More important, this kind of leadership all boils down to base-level transformation, he said.

“It’s about transforming the expectations of people from their leaders so that the next set of leaders will be better than the good ones we now have. Tsinelas leadership is about working on the basics, no frills, something as uncomplicated and casual as the tsinelas but with a very, very clear vision. That was Secretary Jesse Robredo,” Almendras said.

Genuine concern

A day before Robredo died, Almendras said he got a call from the interior secretary who sounded so concerned about why floodwaters in Bulacan, a province north of Manila, had not subsided and what could be done about it.

Almendras said he promised to bring it up with Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson.

“The very last line he told me was: ‘All right, pare. Our countrymen are really in a pitiful state.’ That is tsinelas leadership. A genuine concern and care for the people that we serve. That is Secretary Jess Robredo in its true context,” Almendras said.

Robredo was wearing slippers long before flip-flops and Havaianas became fashionable, Almendras said.

“My wish and prayer is the tsinelas leadership begun by Secretary Jess will become fashionable,” he said. Then turning to Robredo’s widow, he said: “Attorney Len, Pogi is also a fashion trendsetter. It won’t be far-fetched for candidates in 2013 to campaign in tsinelas. I hope this won’t just be for picture-taking. I hope they will step up to the standards that have been set by Secretary Jess Robredo, and that they will be worthy to wear the tsinelas.”

After the eulogies, the Cabinet officials rose from their seats and proceeded to the front of the bier and, clutching copies of lyrics, they sang Robredo’s favorite songs, “Impossible Dream” and “My Way.”

They ended Frank Sinatra’s famous song with the lyrics: “It was Jesse’s way.” Strategic Communication Secretary Ricky Carandang, the emcee, later said, “You know, I always hated that song, but tonight I liked it.”

The Cabinet dedicated their third and final song, The Stylistics’ “Betcha by Golly, Wow” to Leni Robredo, with Justice Secretary Leila de Lima leading. The song was the Robredo couple’s favorite.

At the start of the Cabinet memorial service, Noel Cabangon performed two songs, setting the tone for a night of entertainment and laughter.

Earlier, during the Liberal Party’s memorial service, Ogie Alcasid and Christian Bautista sang gospel songs. This was capped by Bayang Barrios with “Bayan Ko.”

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Robredo’s colleague in the Cabinet and in the Liberal Party, said he and Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima discussed the meaning of Robredo’s passing.

“Cesar remarked: ‘Pare, what happened to Jesse is difficult … If we die, and we don’t get this kind of outpouring of grief, they might say we’ve done nothing,’” he said, drawing laughter. “Maybe, you should immediately get cremated.”

But then Abad said Robredo was a “tough act to follow,” saying he set an extraordinary standard as a public official, family man and servant of God.

“I, myself, have been grappling with this question and it’s clear to me that Jesse’s death isn’t the loss of this administration alone, it is the entire country’s. And our loss is defined first and foremost by Jesse’s uncanny, almost unmatched ability to navigate the delicate complexities of public service,” he said.

A good man

The sum of his achievements was founded on a basic truth: That Jesse was a “good man,” Abad said.

He wondered if it was coincidence that Robredo’s body was recovered on the 29th anniversary of the assassination of the late Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. when he returned from exile in the United States on August 21.

“Perhaps, perhaps not. But judging from the grief that swept the nation, judging from the public clamor for a new hero like Jesse, his passing invoked in us a renewed sense of commitment in much the same way as Ninoy’s death became Jesse’s impetus for public service,” Abad said.

“And here we are now at the very cusp of a revolution that the unprecedented election of our dear President Aquino into office catalyzed and which Jesse’s narrative further enhanced: A movement for effective, transparent and accountable governance and a call for the empowerment of all Filipinos, especially the poor and the disadvantaged,” Abad said.

The three-day state vigil for Robredo in Malacañang ended Sunday morning, with President Aquino leading departure honors for him at Kalayaan Hall before his remains were flown back to his hometown.

Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila said a predawn Mass prior to the sendoff ceremonies on the Palace grounds.

The President, Leni Robredo and her children, and select members of the Cabinet watched as an honor guard composed of 150 members of the Presidential Security Group rendered departure honors, paying last respects to the late interior secretary with a 19-gun salute.

The hearse bearing the remains of Robredo left Malacañang at about 7:25 a.m. for Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, where planeside honors were given by the Armed Forces of the Philippines before the remains were flown back to Naga.

The plane carrying Robredo’s casket arrived at Naga Airport a little past 9 a.m. A series of necrological services was held, with public viewing commencing at 6 p.m. and lasting until late Monday.

The President has declared Tuesday a nonworking holiday in Naga for Robredo’s interment.

The funeral Mass takes place at Basilica Minore de Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia at 10 a.m. Tuesday. It will be followed by the rendering of full military honors at 11 a.m., and by the conclusion of the state funeral at Funeraria Imperial, where Robredo’s remains will be cremated.

Aquino will deliver a eulogy at the funeral.

Robredo Plane wreckage pulled out from the sea

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The wreckage of the Piper Seneca plane that crashed off the coast of Masbate and killed Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo and his 2 pilots is hoisted from the sea on Wednesday. The plane was recovered 800 meters from the shore at about 180 feet under the sea.

Robredo plane avoided crashing into populous village— Abrazado (survivor)

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 MASBATE CITY—It was a toss-up between hitting a population center and the sea with the crippled aircraft approaching the Masbate Airport.

Capt. Jessup Bahinting decided to head for the water instead, sparing casualties on the ground but losing instead Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, his copilot and his own life as well, in the tragic crash of the twin-engine Piper Seneca at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Senior Insp. June Paolo Abrazado, the only survivor, recounted the harrowing moments before the aircraft fell off Masbate City in a three-page statement in Filipino, a copy of which was obtained by the Philippine Daily Inquirer Tuesday.

Robredo’s body was retrieved from the sea on Tuesday morning. Bahinting and his Nepalese student copilot Kshitiz Chand’s bodies have yet to be retrieved from the hull of the plane.

Abrazado, Robredo’s police aide who clambered out of the aircraft before it sank and was rescued later by fishermen, said that the pilot was looking for the runway to make an emergency landing while the plane, which already lost its right engine, was flying very low over the city.

“There’s the runway! There’s the runway!” Abrazado quoted Bahinting exclaiming as they approached the airport.

But the aircraft missed the runway, glided to the left and headed toward the residential area of Barangay (village) Ibingay, he said. It seemed to him that Bahinting avoided crashing into Ibingay, one of the most populous villages of the city.

Like bomb explosion

As the plane banked to the right, sparing the village, it wobbled, “nosed up and nosed down,” and finally plunged into the sea, he said.

“The sound of the crash was indescribable. I can’t explain it. But it was like the explosion of a bomb,” he said. “My initial reaction was to hug Secretary Robredo,” he said.

Abrazado said he lost consciousness after that.

“When I regained consciousness, seawater was already rushing into the plane and the right side of the plane appeared to have disintegrated,” he said.

“But the door of the plane remained locked by a latch. There was a piece of wood that apparently pierced the glass pane of the plane. And the water kept rushing in,” he said.

Nowhere in sight

Abrazado said he looked around but could not see Robredo.

“We were seated beside each other. I did not know if it was me or he who got displaced. I just reached for my seatbelt because seawater was flooding the inside of the plane. I saw light coming in and I tried to surface. I did not know which part of the plane the light was coming from. I was rattled. I was losing my mind. I tried many times to unfasten my seatbelt but it seemed I could not even move my hands. When I unbuckled it, I squeezed myself out from the plane. I had drank seawater mixed with gasoline and I became dizzy.

As he floated away, he saw the plane bobbing up, with its tail the only visible part above the water. The tail, he said, was perpendicular to the surface.

“Then I could not move my hands again. I was still wearing my shoes and pants. I said to myself that I would die because I could not even move my arms. I assumed that my arms were broken,” he said.

Then he saw his bag floating. “I summoned all the physical strength I could to reach for the bag. My face was aching. My body was failing me. I grabbed the bag and it kept me afloat long enough  until a fisherman  came to rescue me.”

Abrazado said for about 15 minutes he was shouting and calling for help while the bag he was holding on for dear life was also slowly sinking.

“When I was rescued by a fisherman, I looked back at the plane. I saw no one from the plane was following me. I could only see what looked like debris,” he said.

He said he told the fisherman to rush him to the  Masbate police office. But the fisherman told him that a rescue team was waiting.

Abrazado’s nose was bleeding by then.

Danger signs

Before the crash, Abrazado had sensed there were problems with the plane.

“While we were still up in the air, the display panel that also displayed a directional map kept on flashing: ‘aviation expires 18 or November 28 2010.’ I can see from the panel a distance notification that said 20 to 26 miles. I don’t know what the expiration message meant. I wanted to inform the secretary about it but I did not want him to worry. I just made the secretary laugh by saying that there were many cases when a plane was flying with only one engine functioning,” he said.

“We were relieved when we saw the runway. Then when we were about to relax,  we began to be aware of the problem,” he said.

The aide said the plane began to swoop nose down when the pilot glided it to the right. “It was then that the pilot lost control of the plane.

“I wondered why the pilot chose to land in Masbate when he said we were returning to Cebu. In fact, I was able to reserve a plane ticket from Cebu to Manila.”

‘Check engine’ warning

Abrazado said when the group took off from Cebu, Robredo was rushing to go home because the Naga Airport would not allow a plane to land if they left Cebu at 2 p.m. They would be diverted to Legazpi City.

“Secretary Robredo was able to talk to the one in charge of the Naga Airport tower, and he got  a go signal,” he said.  “But we still took off at 3 p.m.”

Abrazado said he noticed that the plane looked old but he said the pilot told them that it was in good condition.

“I noticed that the copilot looked like a trainee and that he was a foreigner,” he said.

“After we took off from Cebu and while we were in the air, the display panel suddenly blinked and displayed: ‘Check engine,’” he said.

“The pilot told us that there was a problem and they could not proceed to Naga. Then Secretary Robredo told the pilot to just return to Cebu.”

“I felt the plane turn and I started coordinating with our staff in Cebu and asked them to book a Cebu-Manila ticket,” he said. “Secretary Robredo was relieved that we were returning to Cebu but we noticed that the flight was taking longer than expected.”

Then, Abrazado said, the right engine suddenly shut down and he and Robredo got worried.

Still, the plane was running well, he said, although the pilots were trying to restart the engine that malfunctioned. The copilot even had a very relaxed demeanor when he turned to them at the back, he said.

“We asked the pilot if we were nearing Cebu and we were informed that we would be making an emergency landing in Masbate Airport instead,” Abrazado said.

He said he tried to coordinate with the Legazpi Airport staff to provide a chopper as Robredo had an urgent engagement in Naga.

“While I was doing that, the plane was flying very close to the surface of the sea and I thought the plane was just making a final approach to the runway. I said to myself, we can survive this. I said even when the plane makes a water landing, I can manage to bail out and save my boss,” he said.

Abrazado failed to do that. He was knocked out when the plane crashed into the water and Robredo disappeared from his sight when he regained his senses.

Body of Nepalese co-pilot in Masbate plane crash recovered

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MANILA, Philippines – The body of Nepalese co-pilot Kshitz Chand was recovered from the sea off Masbate Thursday morning where a plane crash killed two others, including Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo Saturday.

Chand’s body was said to have been recovered floating near the vicinity of the crash site some 500 meters away from Masbate airport, a television report said.

A Philippine Navy vessel had reported to the authorities about the body they found after which a rubber boat was sent to obtain it.

The body of the pilot, Captain Jessup Bahinting, was recovered from the wreckage of the plane Wednesday night, while Robredo’s body was recovered Tuesday morning.

The Piper Seneca airplane they were riding was said to have encountered engine trouble as it was on its way to Naga City from Cebu and called Masbate airport to make an emergency landing. It however failed to make it to the runway and crashed some 500 meters from the airport.

Robredo’s aide-de-camp, Police Senior Inspector June Abrazado, was the sole survivor of the crash. He managed to escape after the plane crashed into the water and sunk. He was later rescued by a passing fisherman who saw the accident.

Congressman Osmeña said he offered to help in Robredo search but was ignored in Masbate airport

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Cebu Representative Tomas Osmeña on Wednesday criticized the seeming lack of order in the search and rescue operations for Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo after his plane crashed on Saturday, saying that he hired a private plane to help but was waved off.

Osmeña, who described Robredo as a good friend for 20 years, said there was apparently little interest in the help he offered and that President Benigno Aquino  had to personally handle the operations himself.

During the hearing at the House of Representatives on the budget of the Department of National Defense, Osmeña said he rented a twin-engine plane and flew to Masbate City on Sunday after Robredo’s plane crashed. He said he would have left the night before but he could not have landed at Masbate City Airport then.

Given 5 minutes

Osmeña said he finally arrived in Masbate at 6 a.m. on Sunday. He said the control tower allowed him to land, but was told to keep his engine running. He was given five minutes.

He said he talked to the military and the Presidential Security Group (PSG) members who were present and told them that he wanted to participate in the search for his friend.

“I said,  ‘assign me a search area.’ They said,  ‘just take off,’” he said. “It’s not that they rejected it; They didn’t care,” he later said during an ambush interview with reporters.

At that time, the PSG was preparing for the President’s arrival. Osmeña said he had to take off before Mr. Aquino arrived.

PSG took over

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin explained during the hearing that at that time, the PSG had taken over the area and controlled the air movements. Gazmin also said officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) had not been aware of Osmeña’s arrival.

“Precisely, no one was aware of anything. Nobody knew what was going on,” Osmeña retorted.

He also said he asked for the location of the crash site, but was not given precise information. He decided to fly over the area anyway, and later headed back home. “I flew around. They wouldn’t even tell me where the crash site was,” he said.

“Just think when the President of the Republic has to act like a foreman during the rescue operations. It doesn’t speak very highly of the leadership of the AFP. Anyway, I would just like to bring that to your attention,” he said.

Robredo was found dead

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MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – The body of Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo was found Tuesday morning, Transport and Communications Secretary Mar Roxas II said.
"At 8:15 a.m. kumpirmadong ang isa sa mga katawan ay kay Sec, Robredo," Roxas said.
Reports have yet to be confirmed if the bodies of Capt. Jessup Bahinting and Nepalese Kshitiz Chand have already been retrieved.
Divers found the plane's fuselage around 7:30 a.m. Robredo's body was found inside the fuselage at 7:45 a.m. His body was brought to shore at 8:40 a.m.
Roxas said the remains of the Interior secretary was found 800 meters off Masbate at 180 feet deep.
Robredo's wife, Atty. Maria Leonor Gerona-Robredo, has been informed personally by President Aquino, according to Roxas.
"The President was very quiet, he sought absolute confirmation. Nung kumpirmadong-kumpirmado na, he wanted to make sure na may malapit kay Ma'am Leni na katabi niya. Ma'am Leni was in her house at malayo pa ang mga kilala naming malapit sa kanya, pinagpasyahan na sabihin kay Ma'am Leni na direkta," he said.
"Iyung dalawang pilot nakasubsob sa cockpit, so si Sec. Robredo ang unang nakuha at dahan-dahang inakyat," Roxas said.
Roxas said a technical diver was able to identify Robredo after being briefed of the Cabinet official's last attire.
"The diver could not come up directly, so he sent up his slate with information that the fuselage was found and 'yun ang sinabi na may indications na si [Sec. Robredo ang natagpuan]. Binigyan siya [ng information] sa bihis ni Sec. Jess, ang sunod na balita na pinaabot niya ay si Sec. Jess nga," he said.
Jun Lavadia, the family's spokesperson, is not available for comment at this point. The house of the Robredos was also closed to the media, a radio dzMM report said.
Robredo's older brother, Butch, also asked for more time before the family could release a statement.
Bahinting's wife Margaret, meanwhile, said: "I have just been thankful to God because this morning I was praying na ma-retrieve na ang mga katawan nila na sana hindi na matagal. Whether they are dead or alive, as long as makita ko ang katawan."
The small Piper plane carrying Robredo, his aide, and two pilots crashed 150 meters away from Masbate airport around 4:30 p.m. Saturday as it attempted to make an emergency landing due to engine trouble.
Robredo’s aide, Jun Abrazado, survived the crash and was rescued from the site on Saturday.
Robredo’s plane came from Mactan, Cebu and was headed to Naga City when it encountered trouble. He was rushing home so he could attend an afternoon awarding ceremony for his daughter, Jillian, who won a swimming competition in the Palarong Panglungsod.
President Benigno Aquino III went to Masbate early Sunday morning to oversee the search and rescue efforts.
The 54-year-old Robredo was appointed by President Aquino as secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government on July 9, 2010.
Robredo finished his undergraduate at the De La Salle University with a degree on Industrial Management Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.
He finished his Masters in Business Administration at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman before taking up Public Administration at John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Robredo was elected mayor of Naga City in 1988 at the age of 29. When he took office, Naga was a poor third-class city with low revenues and a stagnant economy.
Robredo partnered with private businesses to revitalize the city’s economy and re-organized Naga’s transportation systems. By 1990, Naga had become a first-class city and Robredo was re-elected.
Robredo was a recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service in 2000, Asia's equivalent of the Nobel Prize. Robredo was cited by the board of trustees as “giving credence to the promise of democracy by demonstrating that effective city management is compatible with yielding power to the people.”
Robredo is survived by his wife, Atty. Maria Leonor Gerona-Robredo, and his three children, Aika, Patricia and Jillian Therese.

Divers can't find Robredo and 2 pilots

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President Benigno Aquino on Sunday took the lead in the search for Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, a day after a light plane carrying the local government chief and three others crashed in waters off Masbate.

Mr. Aquino flew to Masbate early Sunday morning to oversee the search for the wreckage of the four-seat Piper Seneca that crashed into the sea while attempting an emergency landing about 5 p.m. on Saturday.

More than 300 rescuers were scouring the area about 500 meters from the shore of Masbate City for Robredo, who was missing along with the plane’s two pilots.

Robredo’s bodyguard, Chief Insp. Jun Abrasado, made a dramatic escape from the doomed plane and was rescued by fishermen. Abrasado was helping in the search, officials said.

Transportation Secretary Manuel Roxas, who accompanied Mr. Aquino and was designated as official spokesperson for the search, said special sonar equipment had been flown to Masbate to help in the search operation after some debris, including one wing of the missing plane, was recovered.

“We just want to do everything we can to save him [Robredo],” Roxas said in a message on Twitter.

“We remain hopeful that Secretary Robredo was just carried by the current … and that he will be found,” Roxas said, adding that Mr. Aquino was “very emotionally attached” to Robredo and was doing everything he could to help find him.

Four people were on the private plane that was heading for Naga City in Camarines Sur province from Cebu City when it malfunctioned and crashed in waters between Masbate and Ticao Islands.

Missing, aside from Robredo, were Capt. Jessup Bahinting, the pilot and CEO of Aviatour Air that owned the aircraft, and Kshitiz Chand, the Nepalese copilot.

At about 3 p.m. Sunday, Masbate Bantay Dagat reported to City Mayor Socrates Tuason that a large object had been detected on the seafloor.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) also reported that a Navy vessel’s sonar had detected “something metallic” on the sea floor.

“The sonar showed it was something metallic. But it’s not definite yet if that was really part of the airplane,” NDRRMC Executive Director Benito Ramos said by phone.

Hoping for best

“We are hoping for the best that there are still survivors,” Ramos said.

When the Philippine Daily Inquirer sought confirmation from Roxas by phone, he replied: “Nothing yet. Some underwater, seabed disturbances of indeterminate origin indicated by sonar.”

At 4:30 p.m., however, reports came that the flight manifest of the plane with the names of Robredo, Abrasado and the pilots were found in waters 750 meters off the shore.

Roxas confirmed the recovery of the document. He said the diver who recovered it reported finding it at a depth of 45 meters “alongside tracks” on the sea floor.

Earlier, Roxas said Coast Guard, Navy and police divers were searching for the wreckage in depths of 40 meters to 80  meters in an area about 200 meters from the tip of the runway of Masbate Airport.

Coast Guard divers reported seeing what looked like skid marks on the sea floor.

Wreckage dragged

Roxas said the marks could be a sign that strong undercurrents were dragging the wreckage of the plane.

With that possibility, Roxas ordered the Coast Guard to delineate an area where the wreckage could be.

Malacañang could not say whether the President was staying in the area the whole day overseeing the air and surface operations to find Robredo and the others missing.

Tweets by InquirerSLB and ABS-CBN television said, however, the President was staying overnight in Masbate to continue supervising the search operation.

Accompanying Mr. Aquino were Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Philippine National Police Chief Nicanor Bartolome, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and Rep. Jun Abaya, president of the ruling Liberal Party.

Contrary to reports late on Saturday, the search went on overnight, according to presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.

More equipment were deployed Sunday morning to intensify the search for the wreckage, he said.

US help

A flyby on Saturday night by a US aircraft failed to pinpoint the location of the wreckage, Roxas said.

Lt. Cmdr. Armand Balilo, Coast Guard spokesperson, said “big fishing boats with powerful lights helped in the search, trying to locate the plane’s wreckage,” but they had “no success so far.”

Balilio confirmed that the Coast Guard had sought help from the US Coast Guard.

“We gave the grid coordinates of the crash site to our American counterpart,” Balilo said. “We hope they can dispatch today one of their Lockheed P3 Orion aircraft to help in the search for the missing plane.”

Witnesses

Mayor Tuason said witnesses saw the plane trying to land at Masbate Airport at about 4:20 p.m. Saturday. But the plane suddenly plunged into the sea about 200 meters from the shore, he said.

Robredo attended groundbreaking rites for the new PNP Regional Training Center in Cebu City on Saturday. He was supposed to return to Manila on a Cebu Pacific flight that was to depart at 5:30 p.m.

But “for reasons known only to Secretary Robredo, he decided to take a private plane instead of taking the commercial flight,” Roxas said in a statement posted on the government’s official website.

“The secretary opted to fly using one of the planes of Aviatour Air, an aviation company based in [Mactan-Cebu International Airport],” he said. Aviatour Air provides professional pilot training, charter services, aircraft sales and maintenance services.

Last hours

According to records at the Police Center for Aviation Security 7 (PCAS-7) and the public affairs division of Mactan-Cebu airport, the Piper Seneca took off at 3:06 p.m. It was headed for Naga City.

But at around 3:30 p.m., Abrasado sent a text message to Col. Ritchie Posadas, PCAS-7 chief, to say the plane was returning to Cebu because it was experiencing problems with one of its propellers.

Abrasado requested that Robredo’s flight to Manila be rebooked.

At around 4:20 p.m., the aide called again with the information that the plane was attempting an emergency landing at Masbate Airport.

When asked if he and his companions were all right, Abrasado replied in Filipino, “We’re fine.”

That was the last thing PCAS-7 heard from Abrasado.

The last communication received by the control tower at Mactan-Cebu airport reported the plane to be at 45 meters, descending, on the final approach to Masbate Airport’s runway, using instrument flight rules. The communication said the plane might undershoot the runway.

Then nothing more.

Abrasado survived the crash with minor injuries.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said Robredo’s security should not have allowed him to travel on a light plane going to a destination where he would arrive after dark. He said that was “inadvisable.”

Prayers

Prayers poured in from public officials Sunday for Robredo’s safety.

Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was among those praying for Robredo to be found safe, according to her spokesperson, Elena Bautista-Horn.

Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara said people should hang on to the hope that Robredo would be found alive.

Pres. Aquino remains ‘hopeful’ Robredo and 2 pilots still alive

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MANILA, Philippines –   President Benigno Aquino III is still “hopeful” that Interior Secretary   Jesse Robredo and   the two pilots missing   in a plane crash Saturday afternoon are still alive as search and  rescue operations  (SaR) resume  this Monday morning.

“(Aquino) is very, very serious, very somber. When we had  dinner  late  last night , he was very quiet,”  Transportation Secretary Manuel “Mar’ Roxas  said in  Filipino in a television interview on Monday.

That night,   Roxas said, the President only talked about the good times and memories with Robredo.

“He was just very quiet ,  very somber, very determined. The President is still hopeful. Sabi nya Mar, search and rescue ito,” Roxas added.

Aquino  and Roxas and other government officials immediately  flew to Masbate early Sunday or  a day  after  a Piper Seneca   plane  carrying  Robredo and three  others crashed  off Masbate waters  at around  5:00 pm. Saturday.

Robredo’s   aide, June Paul Abrazado, survived   but the Secretary and the two pilots remained   missing.

Two days after  the crash, the  Aquino  government  has no plans  on giving up on Robredo and the two pilots  as it launched an intensified  and massive efforts  to find them.

Roxas said the search and rescue operations will resume at around 10:00 am or 11:00 am with technical divers, who would probe the depths of up to 250 feet.

A special equipment from the United States called “forward  looking infra-red”  will also be used  to  detect signs of life amid the debris, he added.

Robredo’s plane crash: Chronology of events

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MANILA, Philippines – He was originally booked to take a commercial flight, but “for reasons known only to Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo,” he decided to take a private plane that crashed off Masbate waters Saturday afternoon.

Hours before the plane crash, Robredo was at Consolacion, Cebu to attend the ground breaking ceremony of the new PNP Regional Training Center.

At around 2:30 p.m., he left the site and proceeded to Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) to book his flight  to n Naga City .

Based on the information acquired from Police Center for Aviation Security 7 (PCAS-7)/DILG and MCIA Public Affairs Division, Robredo was booked on Cebu Pacific 5J572, Cebu-Manila  ETD 3:50 p.m.

“For reasons known only to Secretary Robredo, he decided to take a private plane instead of taking the commercial flight,” said a statement from the office of Transportation   Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas posted in government’s official website.

“The Secretary opted to fly using one of the planes of Aviatour Air, an aviation company based in MCIA,” it said.

Aviatour Air provides professional pilot training, charter, aircraft sales, and maintenance services.

Robredo then proceeded directly to MCIA’s General Aviations area without passing through the MCIA main terminal building, the statement said.

At 3:06 p.m., the Aviatour aircraft, a twin engine Piper Seneca, with Registry No. RPC 4431, took off at MCIA with four persons on board: Capt. Jessup Bahinting, the pilot who is also the owner, chairman, and CEO of Aviatour Air, co-pilot Kshitiz Chand, a Nepalese national, Secretary Robredo, and his aide Police Chief Inspector June Paolo Abrazado.

But at around 3:30 p.m., Abrazado sent a text message to Col. Ritchie Posadas, PCAS-7 chief to tell him that they were returning back to Cebu because the six-seater plane was experiencing problem with one of the propellers.

Abrazo requested to rebook for the earliest flight possible out of Mactan and so they were booked for the 5:05 p.m Cebu-Manila flight of Cebu Pacific 5J570.

At around 4:20 p.m., however, Abrazado informed PCAS-7 and DILG personnel that they were making an emergency landing at Masbate Airport.

When asked if they were okay, Abrazado replied, “Okey naman.”

That was the last communication received by PCAS-7 from Robredo’s aide, the statement said.

The last communication received by the MCIA control tower from the plane, on the other hand,  was that they were 150 feet, descending, on the final approach using instrument flight rules (IFR) to Masbate Airport and that they might undershoot the runway.

As of 10 a.m. Roxas said Robredo is still missing and search and rescue operations are still ongoing.

Abrazado survived the incident while the pilot and co-pilot of the plane remained missing.

Mar Roxas: We’re doing everything to save Robredo

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MANILA, Philippines –  Helicopters and divers were searching Sunday for one of the most powerful Philippine ministers, who was missing and feared dead after a light aircraft he was travelling in crashed into the sea.

President Benigno Aquino took the lead in the search for Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, a day after his plane went down near the central island of Masbate.

Aquino flew to Masbate where military divers and helicopters were scouring the area for the minister, who is missing along with two pilots.

Transportation Secretary Manuel “Mar”  Roxas, who accompanied Aquino, said special sonar equipment had also been flown to Masbate to help in the search operation after some debris, including one wing of the missing plane, was recovered.

“We just want to do everything we can to save him (Robredo),” Roxas said in a message on Twitter.

Four people were on the private plane. Robredo’s aide, June Paolo Abrazado survived with only a few injuries while the Secretary and  two pilots identified as Capt. Jessup Bahinting and Nepalese Kshitiz Chand remained missing.

The Aquino administration has intensified its efforts to find Robredo and the pilots by sending at least 25 sea vessels from the Philippine Coast Guard, the Navy, Air Force, Philippine National Police, and from the local governments.

The Philippine Navy has deployed its naval ships BRP Simeon Castro and BRP Hilario Ruiz and a diving team from the Naval Special Operations Group (Nagsog) to help in surface and underwater search and rescue operations.

The divers of Navsog have Trimix capabilities, which allow deep diving operations.

A navy islander plane and another diving team were also dispatched from Sangley Point in Cavite to assist in search operations, said Navy spokesman Colonel Omar Tonsay.

Philippine Air Force spokesman Colonel Miguel Ernesto Okol told INQUIRER.net that five helicopters, including its most modern assets, three Sokol and 2UH1H, were also enroute to Masbate.

From an area of about two kilometers from the shore, the search now covers a four kilometer-by-three kilometer site, in a depth of from 40 meters to 67 meters, according to notice posted in a bulletin board of La Villa Resort, which is now being used as a command center in the search and rescue efforts being overseen by no less than President Aquino.

Roxas, who was designated spokesman for the Robredo search, said two US aircrafts did a fly-by in the area last night but found no trace of the aircraft or of its missing passengers – Robredo and pilots Capt. Jessup Bahinting and Nepalese Kshitiz Chand.

He said they hoped to get better results with sonar equipment expected to arrive this morning from Cebu.

The government also called a prayer vigil at a Roman Catholic chapel in Manila for the 54-year-old cabinet member, a father of three daughters and a former city mayor.

He is considered to be one of the most influential Philippine politicians and a close presidential aide.

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.

In recent months, he had ordered investigations into alleged financial irregularities over the construction of police stations and purchase of helicopters and rescue boats.

Robredo was also playing a key role in the dismantling of private armies allegedly deployed by some powerful provincial governors and city mayors ahead of congressional and local elections in 2013.

A former official at an ice cream company, Robredo was elected mayor of Naga City in the strife-torn Bicol region, south of Manila in 1988 at the age of 29, making him the youngest mayor in the country at the time.

His success in turning the once-sleepy city into a trading, housing and education centre won him many honours including a 2000 Ramon Magsaysay award, considered Asia’s version of the Nobel Prize.

After serving nine years as a city mayor, he joined Aquino’s successful campaign for the presidency in 2010, endorsing his reformist platform. Robredo was subsequently appointed to the cabinet.

The Pilot in DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo crash aimed for the sea

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MANILA, Philippines – The pilot of the ill-fated Piper aircraft boarded by Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo reportedly aimed for the sea, according to a witness’ account.
Jojo Sancho, a resident of Masbate City, told DZMM on Saturday that he saw the Piper Ceneca PA 34-200 carrying Robredo flying low before it plunged to the sea.
Sancho said the plane’s pilot may have decided to land on water where they have a greater chance of survival.
“Lumipad sa tapat ng dagat, parang inilagpas ng airport. Talagang itinantya niya na kung babagsak siya sa airport, talagang sasabog [sila],” said Sancho.
Robredo was onboard the plane together with his aide, Capt. Jun Abrazado, pilot Capt. Jessup Bahinting, and Nepalese co-pilot Kshitiz Chand, when it crashed at 4:30 p.m.
Abrazado has been rescued from the crash site.
Search and rescue operations for Robredo and the two pilots are ongoing.
Masbate Vice Governor Vince Revil earlier said Bahinting made a call to the Masbate City Airport where they planned to make an emergency landing.
“Nag-emergency call that they are going to have an emergency landing sa Masbate City Airport pero nag-crash ang plane about 150 meters away from the airport , nag-crash sa dagat,” Revil told “TV Patrol: Weekend.”
Robredo’s plane came from Mactan, Cebu and was headed to Naga City.
Sancho said the plane’s engine died down even before the crash.
“Wala namang usok, talagang eroplano lang na k’wan pero walang naririnig na andar ng makina,” he said.
He also narrated that he ran toward the beach after hearing the loud splash created by the crash.
What he saw at that point was the plane rapidly sinking into the sea.
“Nakita ko na lang 'yung dulo ng pakpak, pero pawala na… tapos may nakita akong mga bangkang maliliit na palapit po doon.”

DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo was rushing home for daughter's ceremony

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MANILA (1st UPDATE) - Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo took a small private plane instead of a commercial plane from Cebu to his home in Naga City since he wanted to attend the awarding ceremony for his youngest daughter who won in a swimming contest, according to Naga City Mayor John Bongat. 
Robredo wanted to watch the closing ceremonies of the Palarong Panglungsod, where his youngest daughter, Jillian, won a swimming event.
Bongat told dzMM Robredo was advised by his wife, Atty. Leni, not to rush anymore for the ceremony since he might not make it on time.
Robredo, however, decided to still take the private plane, which crashed into the sea near barangay Ibingay in Masbate around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.
A search and rescue operation for Robredo and 2 pilots was still ongoing as of posting time.
Robredo was in Cebu for a Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) summit.
Robredo's family lives in Naga City, where he served as mayor for many years.  He won a Ramon Magsaysay award in 2000, Asia's equivalent of the Nobel Prize, for his governance of the city.

DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo still missing

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MANILA, Philippines –   Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo is still missing even as parts of the ill-fated  plane that was supposed to bring him to Naga City  have been found,  the head of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Sunday.

“There has  been no report that he (Robredo) has been found,” NDRRMC executive director  Benito Ramos  told Radyo Inquirer 990 AM in  Filipino.

This was contrary to reports that  he had  been  rescued   by a fisherman.

Ramos also said that the fuel tank of the plane was recovered  Saturday night.

When asked whether this meant that the  plane broke into pieces on impact,   Ramos said, “It’s possible. Only the fuel tank was found so this means that the plane could have broken into pieces.

Robredo and three others were onboard a six-seater Piper Seneca plane when it crashed Saturday  afternoon in the  waters off  Masbate.  His aide, P/Senior Insp. Jun Abrazado, survived while the rest remained missing.

US will help in search for DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo

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MANILA - Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Secretary Mar Roxas said the United States Geological Survey (USGS) team will help in the search for missing Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo and two others.
"(As of 9 p.m., we) received and accepted an offer of help via US Naval Attache Capt. Jack Sutherland; the USG [USGS] has a Fleet Survey team," he said on his Twitter account.
Roxas said the USGS team is now heading towards the crash site of the small plane carrying Robredo and pilot Capt. Jessup Bahinting and student pilot Kshitiz Chand, a Nepalese.
Actually, Robredo’s aide Jun Abrazado was also on board of the plane but he reportedly jumped off the light plane before it crash in the sea off the Masbate City or 500 meters away from the Masbate airport.
The DOTC chief said the search and rescue operations are still ongoing at the crash site.
"Diving search resumed using compressors. They have obtained compressors from the area," Roxas said.

Pres. Aquino at crash site of DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo in Masbate

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MANILA, Philippines –   President  Benigno  Aquino  III  arrived  in  Masbate as the  search  and rescue operations (SaR)  for   Interior   Secretary Jesse Robredo   and two  others  resumed  early Sunday.

Transportation Secretary Manuel Mar Roxas  posted  on his Twitter account that he and Aquino, along with  other  government  officials, on  board PAF C-130   were at the  crash site “to lead the  SaR  efforts.”

“At the location, crash site within sight of beach, 500m & also within sight of end of runway,” Roxas said.

“Water’s calm, sky (is) clear, which will help in (the) ongoing  SaR,” he added.

Robredo, and three others were onboard a six-seater Piper Seneca plane when it crashed  in the waters off the shoreline of Masbate City at about 5 p.m. Saturday.

Robredo’s aide, P/Senior Insp. Jun Abrazado, survived but the Interior Secretary and the pilot and  co-pilot of the plane –Capt. Jessup Bahinting and Nepalese copilot Kshitiz Chand, remained  missing.