Robredo body recovered

(Updated 1:17 p.m.) - With his voice cracking, Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas confirmed Tuesday morning that the body of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo was found at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, 800 meters from the shore of Masbate.  Roxas, in a briefing, said Robredo’s body was found at a depth of 180 feet inside the fuselage of the small Piper Seneca plane that crashed off Masbate Saturday afternoon. In a later interview Tuesday, Roxas said only one of the pilots was located so far. PNoy, family informed “Nakausap ng Pangulo ang misis ni Sec. Jess and informed her about the development,” he said in the briefing, parts of which were aired on dzBB radio. Roxas said Aquino was “very quiet” when he was first informed about the development. He said Aquino sought “absolute confirmation” and gave instructions to call him back once the development was confirmed. “Noong kumpirmadong kumpirmado na, he wanted to make sure na mayroong malapit kay Ma'am Leni na katabi niya. Unfortunately Ma'am Leni was in her house at malayo pa 'yung mga kilala naming mga malapit sa kanya so pinagpasiyahan na sabihan na si Ma'am Leni direkta kaysa madinig pa niya sa espe-espekulasyon or what. So the President called Ma'am Leni and spoke to her this morning,” Roxas said. "'Yung kapatid ni Jess na si Kuya Butch ay nasabihan na rin, at dinadala siya kung saan ngayon 'yung katawan," Roxas said. In Naga City, dzBB’s Carlo Mateo said Jun Lavadia, a close friend of the Robredo family, was emotional upon learning of the development. The remains of the late interior secretary were brought to his home city of Naga before 1 p.m. Tuesday, hours after his body was retrieved.