In a statement, the Aquino family eulogized former President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III as a public servant who served his country with honesty and dignity.
Hours after the first reports trickled in social media, the family of former President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III finally confirmed the news of his death.
“It is with profound grief that on behalf of our family, I am confirming that our brother Benigno ‘Noynoy’ S. Aquino III died peacefully in his sleep,” Pinky Aquino-Abellada read from a statement during an improptu press conference Thursday afternoon (June 24).
The former President's death, which took place at 6:30 this morning, was attributed to renal disease secondary to diabetes.
Abellada added that they had to wait for confirmatory swab tests to rule out Covid-19 as the cause of death, which was why they took so long in issuing a press statement.
"No words can express how broken our hearts are and how long it will take for us to accept the reality that he is gone," she added.
'Honesty and dignity'
In the statement, Aquino's family eulogized the former President as a public servant who served his country with honesty and dignity.
Abellada added that it pained them to see their only brother handling the endless criticism and the subsequent charges filed against him with quiet stoicism.
"Nung sinabihan namin siyang labanan ang mga maling haka-haka, simple lang ang sagot niya sa amin: 'Kaya pa niyang matulog sa gabi,'" she read.
Abellada also bared that Noynoy, who largely kept out of the limelight after stepping down from office in 2016, had been "in and out" of hospitals even before the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Nais naming magpasalamat sa lahat ng mga doktor at medical team na nag-alaga sa kapatid namin," she said.
The family also took the opportunity to thank Noynoy's friends and supporters who stood by him, especially when he was hospitalized.
"Mission accomplished ka, 'Noy. Be happy with Mom and Dad," she concluded.
The Aquino family has yet to announce details of his wake, although Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque has earlier said that the former President is eligible to full military honors as well as a possible burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. (OpinYon News)
Tags: #obituary , #NoynoyAquino