After few days that former DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo laid to rest, President Benigno ‘PNoy’ Aquino III finally announced this Friday, August 31, 2012 his new appointed Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) chief, Mar Roxas.

The 55-year-old Transportation Secretary will replace the late Jesse Robredo.

President Aquino said, “When Secretary Robredo was missing, we had to entertain the possibility [of a replacement]. I told Mar that he was first on my shortlist in case we had to replace Jesse,” and added, “Hindi naman pwedeng patagalin ang pagtakbo ng gobyern o. Kailangan siguraduhin natin yung functions na hindi nagawa ng naitalaga ay ipasa na kaagad sa isang tao na magpapatuloy sa magandang naumpisahan ni Jesse.”

Now that Roxas is the new DILG Chief, Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya will be the one to replace him as the new secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).