Former President Noynoy Aquino Passes Away

UPDATED: Former president Benigno Aquino III was pronounced dead at the age of 61 at the Capitol Medical Center in Quezon City where he was rushed this morning, Thursday, June 24.

Sources close to Aquino confirmed his death as tributes started to pour in for the son of the country’s late democracy icons – Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. and Corazon "Cory" Aquino, who served as senator and president, respectively.

In the afternoon, his sisters led by Pinky Abellada confirmed the passing of Aquino at 6:30 a.m. due to renal disease secondary to diabetes.

“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. His death certificate pronounced his death at 6:30 a.m. due to renal disease secondary to diabetes. 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,” Abellada said.

Aquino had been having health issues since 2019 and on April 26, he told The Philippine STAR / OneNews.PH that he had been undergoing dialysis as his kidney was affected by diabetes.

“Kakatapos ng dialysis at nagpapahinga,”  Aquino said in a text message when asked how he was doing. “Mga 4 na linggo na. Naapektuhan ang kidney ng diabetes.”

Aquino was diagnosed with diabetes in December 2019 – this was the time that fake news spread about him having a heart attack.

He indeed landed in the intensive care unit of the Makati Medical Center – not because of heart attack – but because he passed out while he was confined to find out what really ailed him, those privy to his condition said.

Following his deaath, former deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte disclosed that Aquino underwent angioplasty – a medical procedure that opens up a blocked or narrowed artery around the heart – May 17 and had to stay in the hospital for almost two weeks. This was in preparation for his kidney transplant.

Aquino’s ailments came out only recently. When he was president, Aquino was always declared physically fit to fulfill his duties though he had maintenance medicines, including one for his nerves.

From the Capitol Medical Center, Aquino’s remains were brought to the Heritage Park where he was cremated. He would be buried beside his parents on Saturday, June 26.

His body was cremated after a mass was offered for him by Jesuit priest and composer Fr. Manoling Francisco.

People were allowed to view Aquino’s urn to accommodate his supporters waiting outside the memorial park, his youngest sister Kris Aquino told reporters on Thursday night.

A “brief ceremony” involving the honor guards, men in uniform deployed for state funerals, followed after the short public viewing.

The Ateneo de Manila University, where he finished his Economics degree in 1981, would organize a memorial service for him on Friday, June 25, Kris added.

Kris said her brother, who also served as both congressman and senator before becoming the country’s 15th president, would have lain in state to honor him before burial.

But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kris disclosed they could no longer make all the necessary preparations for his wake and inurnment. She said they did not expect  their brother would leave them so soon. – With Ghio Ong