Robredo still missing

Crash landing site of the plane, carrying DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo. Photo from Benigno Aquino’s official Facebook page

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.