Jesse Robredo FILE PHOTO
President Benigno Aquino III and members of his Cabinet, including Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, will visit the tomb of Jesse Robredo in Naga City on Aug. 18 to mark his third death anniversary.
鈥淭he President saw it fit to visit Jesse鈥檚 grave with the Cabinet members as this is the last year of the administration, [which should still include] Jesse had tragedy not struck,鈥� presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda told the Inquirer yesterday.
Robredo was Mr. Aquino鈥檚 interior secretary until his death on Aug. 18, 2012.
Robredo was on his way back to Naga from a speaking engagement in Cebu City when his light chartered plane crashed into the sea off Masbate City.
Signal to Leni Robredo and the two pilots died. Only Robredo鈥檚 police bodyguard survived.
President Aquino later appointed Roxas, then the transportation secretary, to replace Robredo at the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
Although Malaca帽ang wants to shield the Aug. 18 event from politics as it is meant to be a tribute to Robredo, it could be seen as sending a signal to his widow, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, that she is considered a viable vice-presidential running mate for Roxas in next year鈥檚 national elections.
A Liberal Party member told the Inquirer that the visit of the President and his entourage to Jesse鈥檚 grave is 鈥渁lmost like showing Leni how much she is a part of the team, and potentially as Mar鈥檚 Vice President.鈥�
The source asked not to be identified for lack of authority to talk about the party鈥檚 plans should Sen. Grace Poe finally decline President Aquino鈥檚 offer for her to be Roxas鈥� running mate.
Both Roxas and Leni Robredo have 鈥渧ery much embraced President Aquino鈥檚 daang matuwid (straight path) platform of good government, the source said.
The source also said Roxas and Leni Robredo shared the same 鈥渘arrative鈥�: they were forced into politics because of deaths in their families.
Roxas鈥� brother, Gerardo Roxas Jr., was being groomed to carry on the legacies of their father and grandfather when he died of cancer at the age of 32 in 1993.
After her husband鈥檚 death, Leni Robredo ran for the House of Representatives to break the political dynasty in the province and to maintain the unity of Jesse鈥檚 political supporters.
The source did not mention it but President Aquino went through the same predicament after his mother, democracy icon former President Corazon Aquino, died in 2009, giving rise to calls for him to run for President in 2010.
House or Senate
The Inquirer source acknowledged that Leni Robredo appears to be not interested to run for Vice President.
Robredo earlier told reporters that she would either seek reelection or run for senator in 2016.
She also did not attend last week鈥檚 launch of a movement, formed by her husband鈥檚 friends and supporters, to convince her to run for Vice President.
鈥淟et鈥檚 wait and see how things would turn out,鈥� the source said.
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