(May 27, 1958 – August 18, 2012) was a Filipino statesman who served as Secretary of the Interior and Local Government in the administration of President Benigno Aquino III from 2010 to until his death in 2012. Robredo was a member of the Liberal Party.

Beginning in 1988, Robredo served six terms as Mayor of Naga City in Camarines Sur. In recognition of his achievements as Naga City mayor, Robredo was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service in 2000, the first Filipino mayor so honored. He was appointed to the Cabinet of President Aquino in July 2010.

On August 18, 2012 the Piper PA-34-200 Seneca I aircraft (registered RP-C4431) carrying Secretary Robredo crashed off the shore of Masbate City. He was scheduled to go home and watch his daughter's swimming competition in Naga City. The Philippine Department of Interior and Local Government said that the pilot sent a distress call to the Masbate airport requesting an emergency landing. The plane never made it to the airport and crashed in the sea. His body was retrieved three days later, August 21, 800 meters from the shore and 180 feet below sea level.

 Early life
Jesse Manalastas Robredo was born on May 27, 1958 in Naga City. Robredo was a second-generation Chinese Filipino and was the third of five children (one of Jose Chan Robredo Sr. and Marcelina Manalastas two sons and three daughters.

Robredo's paternal grandfather was a Chinese immigrant named Lim Pay Co who arrived in the Philippines at the turn of the 20th century. Lim Pay Co would later convert to Christianity and adopt the name, Juan Lim Robredo, because it was a custom that Chinese immigrants who convert to Christianity adopt the name of their godparents at baptism. Lim Pay Co chose the name of the priest who baptized him.

Education
Robredo studied at Naga Parochial School, a private Catholic school in Naga City, for his elementary education. While studying there, Robredo began to hone his talent and love for the game of chess. Naga Parochial School was known and had established a record for winning Bicol's annual province-wide chess tournament and Robredo's brother had been among its champion competitors. However, when it was Robredo's turn to represent his school, Robredo only garnered second place.

In 1970, Robredo studied at Ateneo de Naga and in September 1972, when Robredo was in the middle of high school, President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law. Ateneo de Naga and its administration immediately called for an assembly and warned its students against getting involved in anti-government activities and efforts that this may result to the school's exposure to the risk of closure.

Robredo obtained his undergraduate degrees in Industrial Management Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at De La Salle University. Robredo was an Edward Mason Fellow and a graduate of Masters of Public Administration at John F. Kennedy School of Government at  Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1999. In 1985, Robredo finished his Masters in Business Administration at the University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, as a scholar and was named the Graduate School and Faculty Organization awardee for scholarly excellence.  Far Eastern University recognized Robredo’s exemplary governance of Naga City since his first term in 1988 and all the way to his succeeding terms. The mayor was then on his third term, and Naga City since his assumption into office has progressed from a third-class city to a first-class one. He was conferred a doctorate in Humanities, honoris causa, by FEU during its 80th commencement exercise held at the plenary hall of the Philippine International Convention Center on April 4, 2008.

Early career
In 1980, Robredo worked for the San Miguel Corporation in Mandaluyong City, in the Physical Distribution Technical Services of the General Services Division, and within six months, Robredo had hurdled two of the three levels in the division and was then sent to the finance division for another six months.

 When Robredo's immediate superior was moved to Magnolia Ice Cream, San Miguel Corporation's ice cream division, Robredo was invited to come along. At Magnolia Ice Cream, Robredo was assigned to logistics planning and concurrently, he functioned as staff assistant to the physical distribution director.

Mayor of Naga City
In 1986, Robredo returned to Naga City, where he became Program Director of the Bicol River Basin Development Program, an agency tasked to undertake integrated area development planning in the three provinces of the Bicol region.

In 1988, Robredo was elected mayor of Naga City at age 29. Robredo was able to transform the city from being dull and lethargic to being one of the "Most Improved Cities in Asia", as cited by Asiaweek Magazine in 1999.

During his time as mayor of Naga City, Robredo was credited for "dramatically improved stakeholdership and people participation in governance, in the process restoring Naga to its preeminent position as premier city of the Bicol Region." In 1995, in recognition of his skills and competence as a leader and development manager, Robredo was elected President of the League of Cities of the Philippines, the national association of city mayors. Robredo also chairs the Metro Naga Development Council."  From 1992 to 1998, Robredo was also elected Chairman of the Regional Development Council, the regional planning and coordinative body of Bicol's six provinces and seven cities."

Secretary of the Interior and Local Government
From June 30 to July 9, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III was Secretary of the Interior and Local Government, until Aquino named Robredo as Interior Secretary. At least two politicians from Bicol, Luis Ortega and Luis Villafuerte, Sr. expressed opposition to Robredo's confirmation by the Commission on Appointments of which Villafuerte himself was a member. In March 2012, the Commission on Appointments bypassed Robredo's nomination. His nomination was bypassed again in June of 2012. Another confirmation hearing had reportedly been set on August 29, 2012, eleven days after Robredo's sudden death.

 Vice President Jejomar Binay initially wanted to become Secretary of the Interior and Local Government, however, Aquino stated that the post is not being considered for him, but has offered Binay various positions, such as, to head a commission that will investigate the outgoing Arroyo administration, the posts of Secretary of Agrarian Reform, chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), and the chairman of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), but Binay refused. However, on July 15, 2010, Binay has accepted the offer of Aquino to take charge of the housing sector as chairman of HUDCC

 

Death
On August 18, 2012, he boarded a Piper Seneca airplane from Cebu City going to Naga City, when the plane's pilots, Captain Jessup Bahinting along with co-pilot Nepalese flight student Kshitiz Chand decided to make an emergency landing at the Moises R. Espinosa Airport in Masbate City due to engine failure. The aircraft carrying Secretary Robredo along with his aide, Don Abrazado crashed off the shore of Masbate Island. His aide survived the crash. Search and recovery operations were conducted by Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Navy, Philippine Air Force and the local government of Masbate, with assistance from a number of foreign technical divers.

Robredo's body was found at 8:15 AM, Tuesday, August 21, 2012 (PHT). The news was confirmed by DOTC Secretary Mar Roxas. He said the body was found 800 meters (2,600 feet) off Masbate at 54 metres (180 feet) deep.