Robredo widow hopes findings would lead to reforms

Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Lawyer Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo, widow of the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, said she wholeheartedly accepted the result of the investigation showing  pilot error and other factors that caused the plane crash that killed her husband.

“The government did not fail me,” she said, adding she blamed no one for what happened. “The crash report will not make me any sadder,” she said.

“Although his death was sudden and a big loss for many, I know that Jesse was prepared to face the Lord. He lived a full and honorable life. He could have done many things more but it is God’s will to take him,” she said.

In a statement published on the online Official Gazette, Leni said the investigation had led to a fitting closure despite the “painful lessons” left by the accident.

She said she hoped the investigation would lead to reforms that would save many lives and ensure the safety of airline passengers.

Robredo’s remains were recovered at the bottom of the sea off Masbate City, three days after the crash.

“I’ve been asked repeatedly if I am blaming someone for what happened. Again, my answer: I won’t focus on the negative. I will not blame anyone and will not feel bad about it,” she said. Reports from Michael Lim Ubac in Manila and Jonas Cabiles Soltes, Inquirer Southern Luzon