Divers recover Robredo's body

MANILA, Philippines - Technical divers recovered the body of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo during a deep sea search in waters off Masbate City on Tuesday morning.

Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas announced that the body was recovered from a depth of at least 180 feet and a distance of 800 meters from the shore of Masbate City.

"May malungkot tayong balita... At 8:15 a.m. confirmed na ang isa sa mga katawan ay kay Secretary Jess Robredo," Roxas announced before the media.

He said that after the "eyeball confirmation" that the recovered body was that of Robredo, President Benigno Aquino III immediately informed the late secretary's wife, Lenie, of the recovery over the phone.

He added that the elder brother of the late secretary, Butch Robredo, has also been told of the sad news.

Roxas said that technical divers found the fuselage of the missing Piper Seneca plane at around 7:25 a.m. The divers were able to get near the fuselage and spotted three bodies, including that of Robredo and the two missing pilots Jessup Bahinting and Nepali Kshitiz Chand.

He said that the body of Robredo was surfaced by the divers at around 8:40 a.m. and it was immediately placed in a body bag and transported to a waiting ship of the Philippine Coast Guard.

"Ongoing pa rin ang operation for the other bodies in the fuselage," Roxas announced.

Robredo went missing after the Piper Seneca plane plunged into the waters off Masbate City on Saturday afternoon.

A fourth occupant of the light plane, Senior Inspector Jun Abrazado, was rescued alive hours after the plane crash.

Aquino, accompanied by a number of his cabinet officials, flew to Masbate to direct the search and rescue operations and has remained in the province from Sunday to Monday afternoon.

The President left for Manila to prepare for celebrations for the Ninoy Aquino Day today, August 21.

The 54-year-old Robredo was mayor of Naga City since 1988 before being appointed by  Aquino as secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government.

Robredo is also one of the founders of the Kaya Natin Movement, which is composed of local officials and groups advocating good governance.

Sen. Teofisto Guingona III said "the country lost a bastion of good governance."

"At Kaya Natin, we have lost a founder, our teammate, our friend. RIP Jesse," Guingona said.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan said that he was "dumbfounded by the news."

"We are deeply saddened by this latest news confirming that Sec. Jesse's body has been retrieved," Pangilinan said. "He was a longtime friend and a political ally. The nation has lost a dedicated and committed public servant."

Supporters and friends will hold a Mass at the De La Salle University in Greenhills, San Juan City, for the late secretary.