Groups push for Robredo's retention in Cabinet

While Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo remains besieged by criticism for his apparent non-role during the Aug. 23 hostage crisis, which ended with the deaths of nine people, support is also pouring in from groups who insist that the award-winning former mayor of Naga City should retain his Cabinet post. Former Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca of the Kaya Natin Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership (Kaya Natin!) on Friday said her group was confident Robredo would not be eased out of his post, despite President Benigno Aquino III's "honest" admission of their differences. Based on a recent statement by Aquino that Robredo’s fate continues to hang in the balance, it remains unclear whether Robredo, appointed as acting secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), will keep his position. "We have no reason to believe that President Aquino wants Sec. Robredo out of the Cabinet," Padaca, a staunch supporter of Aquino, told GMANews.TV. Yet it's been clear since Robredo assumed office that he was far from being an Aquino favorite. For one, he was the last of the Cabinet officials appointed, kept in suspense while the President considered other candidates. Then when Robredo was appointed, Aquino told him that the national police would not be his responsibility, which by law it should be, but would be handled instead by his deputy, Undersecretary Rico Puno, a long-time aide of Aquino. Recently, Aquino spoke to the media in detail about his personal differences with Robredo, which led him to keep the Ramon Magsaysay awardee in an "acting" capacity, appearing to many to be a public humiliation of one of the country's most respected government officials. In a press conference at the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City, Padaca and the rest of Kaya Natin expressed support for the Interior Secretary, insisting that he still has the confidence both of the people and Aquino. "We thank the President for continuing to support and trust Secretary Robredo," the group said. In a nationally televised interview with network giants on Thursday, Aquino acknowledged his and Robredo's “differences in style," especially during the campaign period earlier this year, but did not discount the track record and excellence in local governance of Robredo, said to be the only Filipino mayor to have received the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award. Instead of looking for people to blame, the public should just leave it to the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC), the inter-agency committee formed to probe the hostage tragedy, to find out who should be held accountable, said Senator Teofisto Guingona III, also of Kaya Natin. "The incident is already being investigated. It's time for the nation to move on," Guingona added. 'Even if you turn cartwheels' Moreover, the Aquino administration should be praised for admitting its mistakes and lapses in the hostage crisis, said the group. "Marami ngang pagkakamali na dapat aminin. Ang ilang pagkakamali ay inaako na nga nila," Padaca said. (There are truly many mistakes that must be acknowledged. And they are taking responsibility for some of those mistakes.) Calls for Robredo's resignation were "totally unjustifiable and baseless," said the group, stressing that only opposition politicians were laying the blame on the DILG chief. The minority bloc in the House of Representatives have called Robredo a “political eunuch," claiming that Aquino’s “ambivalence" regarding the DILG secretary has rendered him unable to function properly in his position. Senator Francis “Chiz" Escudero had also warned that Robredo’s handling of the Manila hostage crisis would be brought up in confirmation hearings by the Commission on Appointments, the body tasked with approving presidential appointments. Escudero is an avowed ally of Vice President Jejomar Binay, who had openly angled for the DILG top position until Aquino decided to appoint Robredo to the post. Padaca wryly observed, however: "Kung ayaw ka talaga nila, kahit mag-tumbling-tumbling ka, talagang naka-tattoo na sa kanilang isip na you can never do anything right." (If they really don’t like you, even if you turn cartwheels, it’s already tattooed in their minds that you can never do anything right.) Fr. Reyes: Lim and Puno are to blame Another group, led by Catholic priest Robert Reyes, also insisted that fingers should not be pointed at Robredo for the bloody outcome of the 11-hour standoff at the Quirino Grandstand. "We believe that the blame for the tragedy should be limited to the police officials … Mayor Alfredo Lim and Undersecretary Rico Puno," Reyes said. Philippine National Police chief Director General Jesus Verzosa was in Cagayan de Oro City when the incident happened. During the standoff, Lim acted as head of the crisis management committee, and Manila police head Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay served as the commander for ground operations. Verzosa, who is retiring next week, "should not be allowed to retire until his degree of culpability is settled by the investigating committee," Reyes said. Magtibay had earlier offered to take a leave of absence amid international condemnation of the government's handling of the hostage crisis. Aquino has promised that heads will roll. His recent statements indicate that Robredo's may not be so safe. —LRS/JV/HS, GMANews.TV