The Palace said the family of the late Interior and Local
Government Secretary Jesse Robredo has accepted the offer of President
Benigno Aquino III for a state funeral, which Malacañang says is the
“highest kind of funeral” a nation can give to its citizens.
This was disclosed on Wednesday at a Palace press briefing by
Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning
Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III, according to details in the second
bulletin of the Committee on Funeral Arrangements and Burial, following
its creation on Tuesday.
“Ang state funeral is the highest possible kind of a funeral that a republic can give,” Quezon said.
On questions of whether Robredo’s remains in the Palace will be open
to public viewing, and where exactly in Malacañang Robredo’s remains
will be placed, Quezon said these will be tackled by the next bulletin
of the Committee on Funeral Arrangements and Burial.
He also said Robredo’s remains will not be brought to the DILG office in Quezon City anymore.
“The wishes of the family were that we should keep the transporting of
the remains to a minimum. And also, in consultation with the DILG
itself, it was felt that this would be a better venue considering they
have also limited space in their own building,” Quezon said.
Quezon said there will be minor differences in state funerals according to one’s rank and the number of guns in gun salutes.
“But the essential elements are the same in all state funerals. It is
the highest kind of funeral that the government can give. It is the kind
that is given to heroes, for example,” Quezon said.
State funeral
State funeral
There are two types of ways people can be given state funerals, the
first being people specified by law to be given such commemorations,
such as Presidents, Vice Presidents, Speakers of the House, Senate
Presidents, National Artists, and Medal of Valor awardees.
The second, said Quezon, is based on the President’s prerogative to grant state funerals to people “who are considered worthy.”
Quezon said an honor guard at present is standing vigil at the Archbishop’s Palace in Naga City, where Robredo’s remains will be until Friday, August 24.
On Friday morning, the late secretary’s remains will be brought to
Malacañang. Departure and arrival honors will be given from Naga City to
Manila by various agencies such as the Armed Forces of the Philippines,
the Presidential Security Group, and the Philippine National Police.
Robredo’s remains will lie in state from Friday to Sunday morning in Manila, and afterward will be brought back to Naga.
Honors
Quezon said the following honors to be rendered at Robredo’s state
funeral will be: an escort battalion, a funeral cortege or procession,
arrival honors at the interment, a gun salute, a three-volley salute,
the playing of taps, and the handing of the Philippine flag on the
coffin to Robredo’s widow, Leni.
Robredo died when the Piper Seneca plane he was in with three others crashed off Masbate on Saturday.
Robredo's remains were recovered Tuesday morning, three days after the crash.
The plane was heading for Naga from Cebu when it crashed off Masbate.
Retrieval operations are still ongoing for the bodies of pilot Captain Jessup Bahinting and co-pilot Kshitiz Chand.
Only Robredo's aide, Senior Inspector Jun Abrasado, survived the tragedy.
'One of a kind'
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Robredo’s replacement will have big shoes to fill.
“Well, Secretary Robredo is one of a kind. He is a Magsaysay awardee.
He has proven his competence in local governance and he has shown
himself as capable also of speaking and engaging politicians in the
entire political spectrum,” Lacierda said in the briefing.
Aquino on Tuesday appointed Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Jr. as
the officer-in-charge of the DILG. The DILG supervises the Philippine
National Police, the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Bureau of Jail
Management and Penology.
That same day, the Palace issued Memorandum Circular No. 36, creating the Committee on Funeral Arrangements and Burial. It is an inter-agency committee tasked to handle preparations for the state funeral of Robredo.
Later in the day, the committee came out with its first bulletin
detailing the public viewing of Robredo’s remains in Naga City and
information on masses that will be conducted in Metro Manila.
The bulletin
also stated Proclamation No. 460 declared during the day, commencing
the National Days of Mourning in honor of Robredo until his interment on
Tuesday, August 28.
