Agency, media urged to be sober in crash inquiry

SOBRIETY was the call of the day for Cebu City officials in relation to the deaths of Interior and Local Governments Secretary Jesse Robredo and Capt. Jessup Bahinting.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama yesterday asked the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to refrain from issuing statements about their inquiry into the the crash of the Piper Seneca plane off Masbate City last Aug. 18.

The mayor said erroneous reports about the “expired license” of plane Capt. Jessup Bahinting caused “irreparable” damage to a still grieving family.

“Until the investigation is over, let’s not make advance findings or conclusions,” the mayor said.

Aviatour Air human resources manager Michelle Ferol assured reporters last Sunday that Bahinting had a valid license.

She said their company doesn’t allow unlicensed pilots to fly their aircraft.

“I know that some love to seek publicity. They like grandstanding. But the damage it creates is so irreparable. We have to be responsible,” the mayor said.

Yesterday a tribute was held by citizen groups, the academe and city officials for Robredo at the main lobby of the University of the Philippines College Cebu.

Former Cebu city administrator Bimbo Fernandez, who leads an urban poor group, said Robredo’s life as a public servant didn’t overshadow his family life and his low key style of governance.

Rudy Alix, a convenor of the Movement for Livable Cebu (MLC), said Robredo was a believer of “collective wisdom” and consulted many stakeholders during his tenure as Naga City mayor.

Councilor Nida Cabrera said she started “copying” the environmental programs of Robredo during his stint as Naga City mayor in 1994 such as the Solid Waste Management Program.

The tribute ended with a send-off candle-lighting ceremony under the UP Oblation statue. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac and Correspondent Tweeny M. Malinao