Jesse Robredo: Filipino

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August had become a month of mourning for the Filipinos. This is the month when the nation celebrates and honors the heroes of the land, those who dedicated their very lives for freedom and the betterment of the lives of the people. Uncannily, Ninoy Aquino was assassinated 21 August 83. Then his wife Cory, the first woman president of the country, passed away 1 August 2009. Last Saturday, one man, called by the name Jesse Robredo, the secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government, never confirmed by the Commission of Appointments, but nevertheless performed his duties to the best of his abilities, was tragically killed in a plane crash. His demise, to the surprise of his own wife and children, brought a nation in tears and grief. I, for one, not even knowing the man, did allow those tears to roll down my cheeks. Why? Because I see him on the news, quietly standing beside or behind the President, but never called attention for himself. When all the others, in the arena of politics and governance tended to get loud, and indeed were loud, Jesse Robredo went about serving as a public servant should. He was serene, as if there was an aura enveloping his image. When his death was announced, the tears dropped heavy, not only from those he knew, but most of all, from the countless hearts from the masa whom he touched, in ways most simple, like sweeping the street, when he was Mayor of the city. He was bestowed the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2000, and we didn't even know that. He never boasted about his achievements, but the people saw his goodness and kindness. Jesse Robredo: Public Servant, Filipino.