Aquino family mourns Noynoy's death: 'Be happy now with dad and mom'
“Mission accomplished ka, Noy,” the family of Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III said in their official statement on the death of the former president on Thursday, June 24.
In the statement, which was read by Aquino’s sister Pinky Aquino-Abellada and streamed online on sister Kris Aquino’s social media pages, the family officially confirmed that their brother “died peacefully in his sleep” this morning.
She added that Aquino was pronounced at 6:30 AM due to “renal disease secondary to diabetes.”
The statement said Aquino had been in and out of the hospital even before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aquino-Abellada noted the controversies Aquino faced after he stepped down as president in 2016, saying it was painful for them that he faced the charges quietly.
“Masakit po sa amin na tahimik niyang tinanggap ang mga batikos,” she said. “Natatak sa aming mga magkakapatid na noong sinabihan namin siyang magsalita at labanan ang mga maling haka-haka, simple lang ang sagot niya sa amin: kaya pa niyang matulog sa gabi. Tinanggap niya ang lahat ng imbestigasyon at akusasyon.”
Aquino faced charges of usurpation of authority and graft related to the Mamasapano incident after his term as president, for which he was not convicted.
“Because when you enter public service, when you serve with honesty and dignity, and when you know you have committed no crime against the people, hindi ka matatakot magsabi ng totoo,” Aquino-Abellada added.
The family thanked Aquino’s friends and doctors, who gave him “true respect by valuing and respecting his privacy.”
“Habangbuhay naming tatanawin na utang na loob yung naibigay ninyo sa aming kapatid.”
Aquino-Abellada also expressed their family’s grief over Aquino’s passing, saying: “No words can express how broken our hearts and how long it would take for us to accept the reality that he is done.”
“Mission accomplished ka, Noy. Be happy now with dad and mom.”
“We love and we are so blessed to have had the privilege to have had you as our brother. We will miss you forever, Noy.”
Aquino, who was president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016, was the son of late president Corazon “Cory” Aquino and senator Benigno Aquino Jr. He is survived by sisters Kris Aquino, Pinky Aquino-Abellada, Ballsy Aquino-Cruz, and Victoria Elisa Aquino-Dee. He was 61.
(Banner photo: Aquino sisters Ballsy Aquino-Cruz, Victoria Elisa Aquino-Dee, Pinky Aquino Abellada and Kris Aquino give a statement at Heritage Park in Taguig regarding the death of their brother and former president Benigno Simeon Aquino III. Photo by Michael Varcas/The Philippine Star)