Robredo’s journey
For 14 months, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo served in the cabinet of President Benigno Simeon Aquino II without confirmation from the powerful Commission on Appointments.
Officially, Robredo served as secretary from July 9, 2010. Despite his solid credentials as a six-term mayor of a record-breaking Naga City, he was just appointed acting secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Governments (DILG) until June 2011 when the president upgraded him and submitted his name to the CA.
It would be a disservice to say Robredo’s stint in the P-Noy government was easy.
Robredo had to slug it out with power blocs in the ruling political party.
It took him 11 months to prove to the President that he was deserving of the high post in charge of the country’s local government units and the police force.
Just when the President warmed up and gave his vote of confidence, the CA sat on his confirmation over objections of some its it members. Under the CA’s rules, a single opposing vote can keep a member of the President’s official family in limbo.
Notwithstanding the lack of a joint committee’s blessing, Robredo performed his role as if it was a cause to which all Filipinos had elected him.
Robredo can be best remembered for his advocacy and personal example of good governance, which entails transparency, accountability and people’s participation in all levels of government.
Robredo took these principles to heart. They became his trademarks in the faithful exercise of government authority delegated by the people as sovereign power.
His work is easy to connect to P-Noy’s anti-corruption platform and battle cry of “daang matuwid” (straight road).
How he navigated his way in the President’s official family was itself a struggle. He was made to wait, but remained humble and steadfast.
Now that he’s gone, the real battle is in getting local government officials and the Philippine National Police to imbibe transparency, accountability and people’s participation as a norm.
How he promoted this speaks of the creative thinking and managerial acumen of the man.
He didn’t rely on a stick, but in most cases, nudged LGUs to embrace good governance with positive rewards.
His program of awarding a “seal of good governance” encouraged many LGUs to try to meet the demanding parameters that were set. The prize funding dangled for their pet projects worked.
Whoever will replace Robredo has large shoes to fill.
Aside from determining the “who”, the focus should be on how to continue his programs.
Choosing the wrong successor may result in a tailspin of the President’s anti-corruption drive. The task of continuity eclipses the puny effort of the CA to give Robredo a posthumous confirmation.
Even as we grieve over his death, we honor Robredo’s memory by making sure his passion for good governance lives on.
