The tragic fate of a public icon and a true champion of LGU’s Seal of Good Housekeeping brought lamentation to the entire DILG IX family.

DILG Region 9 Director Paizal Abutazil, in his eulogy early this morning in the DILG IX Office together with the DILG family , expressed his downhearted feeling of the sadden flight

of the dear Sec. Robredo saying, “Talagang nakakapanghinayang!  It would be very hard for this administration to look for this kind of Robredo who is really intelligent and sincere in his service to government. For the short time na nakasama natin siya, nakita talaga natin ang legasiyang iniwan niya hindi lamang sa DILG kundi pati na sa mga LGU na nabago ang pananaw hinggil sa transparency at accountability.

In his eulogy, He also reminisced his wonderful and inspiring time with the SILG Robredo citing instances of his down to earth virtue and sincerity to government service and his love for Region IX whom he usually visited next to Region V and in fact there was such a time that almost every week he has visited the region particularly in Zamboanga City. He further noted SILG Robredo coining to “A Man without Pocket”.” He has learned to go along with simple people.” RD Abutazil added that one situation he could not forget together with Secretary was when they visited the recently created municipality of Albarka in Basilan. He noted that it was only he, the first Cabinet Secretary, who had set foot in such a place, that even his visit had surprised the provincial government.

Assistant Regional Director Pedro Cuevas also joined the lamentation crediting the SILG as a “ Family Man” in which even in a small affair of his kids he was there to attend to it despite  his hectic schedule. He added saying, “ while he loves his work, he also do not let slip his time to family”.

Others who shared their eulogy include: Provincial Director Asjali who left three important lessons to learn such as to keep ourselves ready from the inevitability of death, to leave a legacy while we’re still here on earth and to make a lasting transformation in our time; Achilles Iglesias who believed in the courage of the SILG in coming to an unstable areas; Fiorello Elizaga who revealed the favorite song of the secretary and reiterating the powerful lines from the secretary “Walang saysay ang ating ginagawa kundi natin ito ginagawa ng tapat.

RD Abutazil, in his concluding word said , “ We have to sustain the momentum of what our SILG has done in promoting accountability and transparency in all local government units. For now, let us join hands in praying for the soul of beloved Secretary, to pray that his family will have strength to accept and recover from the unexpected accident.