This month of August, we honor our nation’s HEROES. Anyone can be a hero just by showing love for his country, or even just by simply becoming a responsible leader himself. Just recently, a certain good leader bids in a heavenly realm. I rarely admire anyone, much less high-ranking officials with whom I have no affiliation at all. However, this man was a cut above the rest. He stoked the flame of public service in my heart. Then I was just a young, career public servant. In 2004, I attended a conference in Manila where I heard his name. He was then Mayor of Naga City. I was amazed by his achievements, much more so when I read about all the work he had done in the interest of public service.
This man won my silent applause. From a distance, I became his fan. My adulation for him grew even greater when he was chosen to lead the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). I told myself, “This is it! Innovations will surely follow!” However, when I read the news in my twitter account that DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo died in a plane crash, my hopes that this country would still excel in good governance were dashed. I started to contemplate and figuring out the core of this incident towards public service and good governance. Why this man, and why this early? And after careful analysis and viewing things in a different perspective, I realized that this incident brought out the real essence of public service, as it was sensationalized by mass media. His death was a plea for us to renew our commitment to the people we serve. His legacy imparts an altitude of 180 feet deep meaning to the word leadership. Then, I rephrased my questions: “Who will be the next to follow his footsteps? Are You the One?”
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