De Lima: No talks yet on Robredo successor

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino and his Cabinet are not yet talking about reassignments as they are still mourning the death of Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo.

“None so far. We are focused now. We’re all grieving. We’re all mourning,” Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said when asked who would succeed Robredo as chief of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

De Lima, however, said Aquino may have been thinking about the matter already.

“Maybe the President is already thinking about it but he has not articulated on it yet,” she said after departure honors for Robredo at Malacañang yesterday.

She said Aquino has instructed them to rest as they are scheduled to attend Robredo’s funeral in Naga.

“We have to reenergize ourselves for the state funeral on Tuesday. I think some of the Cabinet members are leaving tomorrow (Aug. 27) although most of us would be leaving on Tuesday,” De Lima said.

A friend of Robredo said the late secretary was never bothered by rumors that he would be replaced even when there were reports that several politicians have been eyeing his position when he was still alive.

In fact, Harvey Keh, co-convenor of Robredo in the Kaya Natin Movement, said Robredo would like to finish all the reforms that he had started at the department.

Even before his death, some quarters had been spreading rumors that President Aquino had promised Robredo’s position to a last-termer politician.

Earlier, the President said he is considering appointing Senators Panfilo Lacson and Francis Pangilinan as members of his Cabinet.

He did not say what positions would be offered to the senators. Talks are rife, however, that Lacson, a former police chief, would be named DILG chief.

Pangilinan is reportedly being eyed as secretary of either the Department of Agriculture of Department of Justice.

Shortlist

But in his column Search for the Truth in The STAR on Saturday (Aug. 25), former Sen. Ernesto Maceda said President Aquino is likely to appoint a Liberal Party (LP) member as the next DILG secretary.

“The DILG secretary is the most politically sensitive position among all Cabinet posts because he supervises all the governors, mayors and all local officials. LP will try very hard to maintain its hold of that position,” Maceda said in an interview in Bacolod Friday.

“So somebody from the LP would be viable,” he added.

Maceda said the most likely appointees from LP to replace Robredo are Transportation Secretary Manuel Roxas, who is LP president, Cavite 1st District Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, LP secretary-general, and Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, who he said is “very qualified for the position and is doing very well.”

In his analysis, Maceda said Roxas might decide to transfer to DILG, but Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. “might opt to transfer” to DILG, too.

“When he was alive, Robredo, who was LP executive vice president, was the one often going around the country trying to convert incumbent officials from their own parties to LP,” he said. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Danny Dangcalan