PNoy: I instructed Puno to secure Robredo’s office, records

Vladivostok, Russia – President Benigno Aquino III told reporters Saturday evening that he had ordered Department of Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Rico Puno to secure the office of then-missing DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo. Previous reports have revealed that Robredo may have been keeping confidential files on procurement cases that could have involved Puno.

 

On August 18, a Piper Seneca airplane taking Robredo to Naga City from Cebu crashed off the coast of Masbate. 

 

“Missing ng hapon, late afternoon si Sec. Robredo,” said Aquino, who is currently in Russia attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. “Some time in that early evening, tumawag sa 'kin si Sec. Leila de Lima at pinaalalang may mga confidential folders si Sec. Robredo that needed to be secured.

 

“In fairness to Usec. Puno, there are only two Usecs sa DILG. One handles local government; and the other handles police, fire, jail, so they all report in the same office. I’d instructed him [Puno] to seal the office of Sec Robredo, to ensure that all of his records will be kept intact. That was the extent of the instructions that I gave to him,” explained the President. Aquino added that what was actually under investigation was the process of procurement of 9mm guns, and not Puno himself, asserting that a person is innocent unless proven guilty.

 

A day after the plane crash —and with Robredo still missing— Puno and several accompanying police officers tried to enter the DILG secretary’s condominium unit on Tomas Morato Avenue in Quezon City.

 

According to one of the accompanying policemen, P/Sr. Superintendent Oliver Tanseco, Puno received instructions from Aquino to place Robredo’s residence and offices under “lockdown.”

 

However, the building’s personnel refused Puno and the policemen entry beyond the building’s lobby. Puno and his party did not try to force the issue.

 

Sorties

 

However, if Aquino’s instructions to Puno were to seal the DILG secretary’s office, why the sortie to Robredo’s condo? 

 

Aquino’s explanation for Puno’s actions was: “Well, he probably thought there were also some documents there that needed to be secured.”

 

But what Puno failed to accomplish at the condo, he successfully carried out at Robredo’s National Police Commission office.

 

Napolcom security officer Mario Mena said Puno and the police officers with him went to Napolcom to secure Robredo’s office and files.

 

Mena also said that, later in the day, Puno returned to the Napolcom office, accompanied this time by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

 

Subject of an investigation

 

Previous reports said that Puno and several high-ranking police officers were the subjects of an investigation that Robredo was heading. Furthermore, sensitive documents related to the investigation were kept inside Robredo's Quezon City residence.

 

The existence of such an investigation on Puno was confirmed by three sources, including a Cabinet member who declined to be named.

 

Meanwhile, the wife of the late DILG Secretary, Atty. Leni Robredo, said at a media briefing that she had asked President Benigno Aquino III to secure their residence in Metro Manila as she was aware that her husband had sensitive documents, which may have been in the condo unit.

 

Communications Strategy Secretary Ricky Carandang, in an interview with news media, said Robredo was conducting “a number of very sensitive investigations” but he refused to state the purpose and the personalities involved.

 

However, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the matter was not under her "jurisdiction," and would say nothing on either the contents of allegedly "sensitive" documents left behind by the late Interior Secretary, nor his undersecretary's alleged attempt to secure the files. — DVM/TJD/HS, GMA News