The best President the country never had

Oftentimes we never fully appreciate the greatness of a person until he or she passes away. Such was the case when Jesse Robredo passed away last August 18, 2012 in a very unfortunate plane crash as he was on his way home to Naga City. 

 

Not many people knew about him then but as the nation collectively prayed for a miraculous rescue in the succeeding days, many of his achievements in his 18 years as mayor of Naga City and two years as secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) slowly but surely was made known to the general public. 

 

What happened in the following days was a massive outpouring of love and support for him and his family. The whole nation grieved the loss of an honest, dedicated and hardworking public servant that many consider to be a rarity in a country that is often governed by well-entrenched political dynasties and the corrupt.

 

Naga City’s Tsinelas Leader

 

Yet, when I asked ordinary Filipinos about what endeared him to them, it wasn’t about his startling achievements in the field of governance such as his introduction of the Seal of Good Housekeeping for local government units to aspire for when he was DILG Secretary, nor was it about making Naga City one of the top performing cities in the country when it comes to education and health. 

 

For many Filipinos, Robredo was considered a modern day Filipino hero because he was able to show them that leaders can also be grounded in understanding the real needs of the poor and powerless in our society. 

 

Many Nagueños share fondly how Robredo would be the first one to go out and clean up the streets of their city after every typhoon. According to Robredo, he would do this so that when his constituents wake up they could already see a sense of order in their community. 

 

They would also recall him going around the city on his bike to consult with his constituents without the usual escorts and fanfare that would often accompany political leaders of his stature.  

 

Most importantly, the people of Naga would often say that in his 18 years as mayor of the most progressive city in the Bicol region, he has lived in the same apartment and has never used his power to enrich himself or his family. 

 

It was not surprising that despite not having millions of pesos to spend, he would go on to win every time he would run for mayor in their city. 

 

A special place for Mindanao

 

While Naga City was home to Robredo, the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) held a very special place in his heart as he would often visit Sulu and Tawi-Tawi to assist mayors in developing education reform programs that were aimed at ensuring that every Filipino child would learn how to read. 

 

Despite his very busy schedule as DILG Secretary, he did this without drawing much attention as one of the pillars of Synergeia Foundation. 

 

ARMM is considered to be the poorest and most underdeveloped region in the country and he believed that providing access to quality basic education to every child would help bring peace and development in the region. 

 

Robredo endeared himself to the people of Mindanao so much that mayors in the region would often say that if Robredo ran for the Senate, he would easily get the highest number of votes among all the candidates in ARMM. 

 

His attention and focus to helping our fellow Filipinos in Mindanao reflected his preferential option towards the most marginalized communities in our society. Something that is very much needed in our government leaders.

 

President Jesse Robredo

 

As the nation braces itself for the last two years of President Noynoy Aquino and the upcoming 2016 national elections, the task at hand is to now look for leaders who will continue the reforms that President Aquino has started in his term. 

 

Let us not anymore allow our nation to go back to the dark ages where corruption and illegal practices were the norms in our government. 

 

We need effective, ethical and empowering leaders who are not afraid to go against powerful institutions in our country just to ensure that rights of the majority are protected. 

 

We need leaders with integrity who know how to listen to the poor and powerless in our society. 

 

We need leaders who as President Aquino aptly pointed out in his last State of the Nation Address (SONA) will continue the transformation that our nation is undergoing right now. 

 

We need "Tsinelas Leaders" who would go beyond lip service and lead quietly through their way of life. 

 

Hopefully, when we look for these leaders we will find in them the qualities and values of Jesse Robredo, the best President our country never had.

 

To commemorate the 2nd death anniversary of Jesse Robredo, the Jesse Robredo Foundation has organized a commemoration mass to be officiated by the Most Rev. Antonio Tobias, D.D. on August 18, 2014 (Monday), 5 p.m. at the St. Joseph Church, Camp Crame, Quezon City. The Mass is open to the public.

Harvey S. Keh is the President of the Acts of Hope for the Nation (AHON) Foundation and the Executive Director of the Institute for Governance and Strategic Partnerships (IGSP). 
 

Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of this website.