by Miriam Grace Go
Posted in Rappler.com, August 27, 2012
It was initially ironic, in the eyes of some fellow journalists, that
I couldn’t immediately type away a tribute to Jesse Robredo.
I practically grew up with him professionally. He was head of the
League of Cities at the time the Local Government Code was up for a
first review since its enactment. I was a newspaper reporter urged by my
editors to keep an eye on this sector that had started pushing for more
powers, autonomy, and resources from the national government.
The coverage evolved into conversations over the years. Local
governance was our common passion; good administration, both our ideal.
Politics was a reality we both grappled with whenever I asked the
practical, at times awkward, questions. Campaigns and elections were a
most absurd necessity we often afforded to laugh about only when they
were over.
Face to face, voice calls, text messages—he would answer; he had
answers. Truthful. Realistic. Sometimes pragmatic. But
always—always—giving you the feeling that it’s alright, even this once,
to shed off a bit of your cynicism; that it’s not strange if you wrap up
an interview feeling a bit hopeful for this country, or for the
countryside at least. Read more
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