Leni Robredo: 'He always told me he was lucky that he married me'

The funeral service for Jesse Robredo in Naga City on Tuesday included a Requiem Mass and the posthumous conferment on him of the Philippine Legion of Honor by President Benigno Aquino III. Robredo's widow, Maria Leonor ("Leni"), accepted the honor, and in response gave a moving speech about her husband. Saying that much had already been said about Robredo the dedicated public servant, she instead focused on Jesse the devoted husband and father. "He always told me he was lucky that he married me," she said. "He constantly told my children he was proud of them." Leni said that it was important to her husband that their children not feel any sense of entitlement due to his position — just as he himself "was always cautious not to enjoy the perks of his position because he was always afraid that he’d get used to it and be tempted to do all means just to stay in power." He felt that the greatest gift he could give his children was a good name, said Leni. "In death, he gave my children that gift and the best way we can all honor him is to guard that name and make him proud." Leni described a man without airs, who knew that "fine dining" would leave him still hungry, who would come home every weekend to to do house repairs, and whose "evening ritual" consisted of doing still more official work after he got home from the office. 2012 was the year of their silver wedding anniversary, said Leni, and Jesse had brought her "a hodgepodge of flowers" to celebrate the day. In a moment of reflection, she said, "we agreed that we have been truly blessed not only because we have three wonderful children, but also because life has generally been good to us. That was when he first told me that he had already fulfilled all his dreams for himself." Leni also spoke of her gratitude towards those who mourned along with her family — including the thousands who lined up to pay their respects as his body lay in state at Malacañang, and the thousands more who thronged the streets of Naga City cheering and crying for the man they still called "Mayor" and "Pogi." "[T]he immensity of the public response to his death and the collective grief being displayed give us comfort that his efforts have made their mark. We did not expect this kind of reaction. I am sure Jess did not expect this either," she said. In the end, said Leni, her husband was not taken before his time — as unexpected and heartbreaking as his death was for his family, friends, and the public. "He was never fearful of his life. He was always ready to face his Creator. He often said, 'Kung panahon mo na, kahit anong gawin mong pagtatago, panahon mo na. Kung ano ang nakatakda siyang mangyayari.' Maybe for him it was the perfect end to a life well-lived." Read the full transcript of Leni Robredo's response after accepting the Philippine Legion of Honor for her husband. — BM/HS, GMA News