OpinYon NewsMag: #OpinYon #WebExclusives Does getting elected to office mean abandoning one's family? It’s a dilemma Vice-President Leni Robredo now faces as she receives a barrage of criticism for allegedly neglecting her home province of Camarines Sur following the onslaught of typhoon “Nina”. The Vice-President has drawn flak for staying with her family in the United States on Christmas Day while “Nina” was battering the Bicol provinces. The public, it seems, was expecting Robredo to abandon a long-planned family reunion and fly immediately to Naga City after the typhoon struck her home turf. But wouldn’t this be asking too much for Robredo – as well as other public officials facing a similar dilemma? It should be noted that in fulfilling his duties as a public official, Jesse Robredo, the Vice-President’s late husband, did not forget his family obligations, often showing up at important events with his wife and children. In fact, his untimely death in 2012 was made even more dramatic when it was learned that he was hurrying off to catch his daughter’s awarding ceremony in Naga City when his plane crashed off Masbate Island. It was this example of close family ties that Leni Robredo has sought to continue in her sole parenthood, even after gaining a seat in the House of Representatives in 2013 and winning the Vice Presidency this year. What the public does not seem to get is that public officials also have to spend time with their own families. http://ift.tt/2izcrAz