Aquino leads search and rescue operations for
Interior and Local Government Secretary Robredo in Masbate
President Benigno S. Aquino III left for Masbate
province early Sunday to personally lead the search and rescue operations for
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo who went missing after
the white Piper Seneca plane he and his companions chartered crashed off the
coast of the province on Saturday afternoon, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin
Lacierda said on Sunday.
In a statement, Lacierda said the President is
joined by Transportation and Communication Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Budget
Secretary Florencio Abad and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin.
Philippine National Police Director General
Nicanor Bartolome, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Lt. Gen.
Jessie Dellosa, Manila International Airport Authority General Manager Bodet
Honrado and Philippine Coast Guard Vice Admiral Edmund Tan were also with the
President who took a Philippine Air Force C-130 cargo plane to Masbate province
at 5:45 a.m.
Lacierda said the search and rescue operations
efforts for Robredo will continue today with “more assets being deployed this
morning to intensify the search.”
“In the meantime, the President, along with
Secretaries Roxas, Abad, Gazmin, and Representative Abaya flew to Masbate at
5:45 a.m. to personally observe the search and rescue efforts. We will be
issuing more updates as they become available,” Lacierda said.
In an update posted on Saturday night (9 p.m.),
Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel Roxas II said a US Fleet
Survey team in Cavite has joined the search and rescue operations in Masbate.
Meanwhile, Lacierda announced that a vigil for
the successful rescue of Secretary Robredo will resume at 3 p.m. this afternoon
at La Salle Greenhills, with a Mass scheduled at 5 p.m.
Both will be open to the public. (rck)
Aquino deploys full force of government to
vigorously search for Interior and Local Government Secretary Robredo
President Benigno S. Aquino III has ordered
military, police and concerned government agencies to intensify search and
rescue (SAR) operations to vigorously find Interior and interior and Local
Government Secretary Jesse Robredo and two others who went missing after their
Piper Seneca plane that was supposed to bring them to Naga City from Cebu City
crashed off the coast of Masbate City on Saturday.
In a press conference at the Command Center set
up at the La Villa Beach Resort in Masbate City on Sunday, Transportation and
Communication Secretary Manuel Roxas II said the President remains focused and
intent at finding Robredo and his companions.
Authorities said at least 25 sea vessels from
the Philippine Coast Guard, the Navy, Philippine National Police, and from the
local governments were now involved in the search and rescue operations which
resumed early Sunday.
The Philippine Air Force has brought in five
helicopters, including its most modern assets, three Sokol and 2UH1H, in search
and rescue efforts while the United States government has also joined the SAR
efforts by fielding a US Fleet Survey team based in Cavite.
Meanwhile Roxas has requested Filipinos to pray
for the safety of Robredo and his two companions who have been identified as
pilot Capt. Jessup Bahinting and co-pilot Kshitiz Chand, a Nepalese. (rck)
Malacanang says work continues despite incessant
search for Interior and Local Government Secretary Robredo
Government work will not stop as the entire
nation continues to hope and pray for the successful rescue of Interior and
Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo and his two companions following an
aircraft mishap they encountered off the coast of Masbate Saturday afternoon.
Malacañang gave this assurance on Sunday amid
lingering concerns over the Local Government chief who went missing after the
white Piper Seneca plane which they boarded crashed while attempting to make an
emergency landing at the said province.
President Benigno S. Aquino III along with some
Cabinet officials immediately flew to Masbate early Sunday and is still at the
crash site to personally oversee the search and rescue efforts for Robredo, the
pilot identified as Capt. Jessup Bahinting and his Nepalese co-pilot, Kshitiz Chand.
In her regular Sunday briefing over Radyo ng
Bayan, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said President Aquino
already visited Robredo’s aide-de-camp, Jun Abrazado, who sustained injuries in
both his arms after surviving the incident.
“Si Jun Abrazado insisted in going back to the
site to help in the search and rescue for Secretary Jess and the other two
pilots. Ngayon po under observation pa din po siya and the President is back at
the center of the site to oversee the search and rescue that is ongoing,” Valte
shared.
Valte said it is yet to be determined for how
long the President would stay in Masbate but assured the public that government
officials won’t lose their focus on other pending matters despite their sadness
over what happened to one of their colleagues.
“Work goes on except that, of course, a lot of
us are close to Secretary Robredo. We work with him, we interact with him on a
regular basis. But work will not stop. Work will still be there. But, again, we
all continue to hope and we all continue to pray for his safety,” Valte said.
A vigil continues to be held at the National
Shrine of the Divine Child at La Salle Greenhills in Mandaluyong City as
Malacañang keeps on asking the public for prayers for Robredo, his two companions,
and their families.
“We all remain hopeful at this point. We had
that vigil yesterday, last night, and we all remain hopeful. We know that
Secretary Jess is a fighter and… this, too, shall pass for all of us,” Valte
said.
Valte also thanked the communities that have so
far conveyed that they offered prayers and Sunday masses for Robredo and the
other missing crewmen of the ill-fated plane. (hdc)
