TRIBUTE- BENIGNO AQUINO III: MANILA PHILIPPINES- Former president Noynoy Aquino laid to rest
MANILA, PHILIPPINES
Family, friends, and colleagues bring former president Benigno Aquino III to his final resting place at the Manila Memorial Park
Former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III was laid to rest at the Manila Memorial Park in Sucat, Parañaque on Saturday afternoon, June 26.
Aquino was laid to rest beside his parents, former president Corazon Aquino and former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr.
His four sisters, his brothers-in-law, nephews, nieces, friends, and colleagues were there to bring him to his resting place.
Aquino was accorded full military honors. A helicopter showered yellow flower petals on the funeral site. Military chief General Cirilito Sobejana handed over the folded Philippine flag to Aquino’s eldest sibling, Ballsy Aquino-Cruz
Youngest sister Kris Aquino placed the urn in the tomb at around 1:43 pm. “Bayan Ko” was sung as the tomb was sealed.
Prior to the inurnment, a funeral mass, officiated by Archbishop Socrates Villegas, was held at the Church of The Gesu at Ateneo de Manila University, where a one-day public viewing was held on Friday.
Filipinos also paid their final respects to the former president along the convoy route. Firemen in Quezon City honored Aquino with a water salute.
Aquino, 61, died peacefully in his sleep early morning of Thursday, June 24 and was cremated the same day.
He died of renal disease secondary to diabetes. He had been suffering from various illnesses since 2019, and had been undergoing dialysis for at least three months. He recently had a heart operation.
Aquino first entered politics as congressional representative of the 2nd District of Tarlac. After serving the maximum three consecutive terms, he made a successful bid for the Senate and served as senator from 2007 to 2010.
He was elected as the Philippines’ 15th – and its first bachelor – president in 2010, following a public clamor after the death of his mother in September 2009. – Rappler.com
Camille Elemia
Camille Elemia is Rappler’s lead reporter for media, disinformation issues, and democracy. She won an ILO award in 2017. She received the prestigious Fulbright-Hubert Humphrey fellowship in 2019, allowing her to further study media and politics in the US. Email [email protected]
