Sec. Jesse Robredo deserves to be honored. Maybe not a lot of you has been given the chance to know him personally when he was still alive because he is a very simple man with a big heart in public service. He is not the type that grab headlines or waste people's money or talk about other people's trash. He is a man of action.
Jesse's tsinelas leadership inspires, lending a wealth of insight into the virtues of people-empowered governance and of unparalleled devotion to his constituents, spouse and children, parents and siblings. If only all the politicians in the Philippines will emulate Jesse's tsinelas leadership...
He is a very hands on mayor. A guest in Naga City recalls how he personally saw Pogi's tsinelas leadership:
"Let me share one experience I had with this man they call POGI. Jesse Robredo was walking in the city center when he noticed a drainage canal in front of the hotel where we are staying, he saw that it was clogged with trash, without a second thought he cleaned it with his bare hands and and all the people around were shock to see the mayor cleaning a canal."- Binatang taga Bukid
The Inquirer editors and assistant editors voted Jesse Robredo the Filipino of the Year for 2012. Of 63 votes, Robredo received 17; Luis Cardinal Tagle, 11; and President Aquino, 8. The rest of the nominees were, in the order of number of votes received: Cris Valdez, Sen. Pia Cayetano, Rep. Edcel Lagman, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, government and MILF peace panels, Dolphy, Filipino women, Filipino Indie makers, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Kevin Balot.