Jesse Robredo

Jesus "Jesse" Manalastas Robredo (; ; May 27, 1958 – August 18, 2012) was a Filipino politician who served as 23rd Secretary of the Interior and Local Government in the administration of President Benigno Aquino III from 2010 until his death in 2012. In recognition of his achievements as Naga mayor, Robredo was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service in 2000, the first Filipino mayor so honored. He was appointed to the Cabinet of President Aquino in July 2010. Jesse's Hokkien Chinese name is Lim Pieng Ti. He has one brother and three sisters.

Robredo finished elementary at the Naga Parochial School and entered high school at the Ateneo de Naga University in 1970. Robredo obtained his undergraduate degrees in Industrial Management Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at De La Salle University. In 1985, Robredo finished his Masters in Business Administration at the University of the Philippines, Diliman as a scholar and was named the Graduate School and Faculty Organization awardee for scholarly excellence.

Political career

In 1986, Robredo returned to Naga, where he became program director of the Bicol River Basin Development Program (BRBDP), an agency tasked to undertake integrated area development planning in the three provinces of the Bicol region. While working at the BRBDP, he met fellow Nagueño Leni Gerona, whom he would marry the following year.

In the 1988 Philippine local elections, Robredo was elected mayor of Naga at age 29, making him the youngest person who was elected mayor in the vote. His entry to politics was influenced by his uncle, then-Camarines Sur governor Luis Villafuerte. However, the two fell out in 1992 following allegations of corruption and jueteng involving the Villafuertes, which led to Villafuerte disowning Robredo. In 1995, Robredo was elected president of the League of Cities of the Philippines and chaired the Metro Naga Development Council." In 1999, Asiaweek Magazine credited Robredo with transforming Naga into one of the "Most Improved" cities in Asia.

He re-elected as city mayor in 2001 and again served for three consecutive terms until June 30, 2010. In March 2012, the Commission on Appointments bypassed Robredo's nomination. His nomination was bypassed again in June 2012. Another confirmation hearing had reportedly been set on August 29, 2012, eleven days after Robredo's death.

During his time as the secretary of DILG, Robredo focused on relocating thousands of residents in Manila's slums into housing projects to clear Metro Manila's waterways and make way for flood mitigation projects and other development. As head of an inter-agency body for relocation, Robredo pushed for the building of in-city tenement housing units for thousands of informal settler families living in identified "danger zones" such as estuaries, riverbanks, waterways, railroad tracks, garbage dumps and similar areas. These contrasted with earlier government housing efforts, which relocated informal settlers to areas away from the city which deprived residents from their usual livelihoods.

Robredo's opposition to forced evictions were met with resistance from some local government officials, notably Makati mayor Junjun Binay, who argued that such arrangements broke long-standing agreements with private land owners and undermined the city government's authority.

Death and legacy

Robredo died on August 18, 2012, when the Piper PA-34 Seneca light aircraft he was traveling in crashed off the coast of Masbate Island. He was flying to Naga to assist in his daughter's swimming competition. The plane suffered an engine failure en route from Cebu City, and was attempting an emergency landing at Masbate Airport. Robredo's aide, Police Chief Inspector June Paolo Abrazado, was also on board but survived. Robredo's body was found on August 21, from the shore and below sea level.

His lying-in-repose was at the Archbishop's Palace in Naga before his remains were transferred to Malacañang Palace for his lying-in-state and official rites on August 24, 2012. His remains were then returned to Naga for a state funeral with full military honours at the Peñafrancia Basilica, and subsequent cremation at Naga Imperial Crematory and Columbary. Robredo's ashes are entombed at the Eternal Gardens Memorial Park in Naga. Robredo's tomb at the Eternal Gardens Memorial Park (Naga City). Following Robredo's death, August 18 was declared "Jesse Robredo Day". President Benigno Aquino III conferred the Philippine Legion of Honor with the rank of Chief Commander upon Robredo on August 28, 2012, just before the state funeral. In addition, two roads were named in his honor, Sec. Jesse Robredo Avenue in Naga and Jesse M. Robredo Boulevard in Masbate City. The Naga City Coliseum was renamed into the Jesse Robredo Coliseum, and the Naga City Governance Institute to the Jesse M. Robredo Good Governance Center. In 2016, a major diversion road in Koronadal City was named as J.M. Robredo Avenue that was witnessed by his daughter, Tricia. In 2017, the Museo ni Jesse Robredo opened in commemoration of his fifth death anniversary.

His alma mater, De La Salle University, renamed the La Salle Institute of Governance into the Jesse M. Robredo Institute of Governance.

Personal life Robredo married pro bono lawyer and future congresswoman and vice president Leni Gerona on June 27, 1987. They had three daughters named: Jessica Marie "Aika", Janine Patricia "Tricia", and Jillian Therese.

Electoral history

Honors National Honors

Awards Philippines Exemplary Fiscal Management Award by the DILG, 1989 Dangal ng Bayan Award by the Civil Service Commission, 1990 The Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines, 1991