By Gian Angnged and Jaemie Talingdan

Former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III passed away at age 61 on Thursday, as confirmed by former Interior secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II. Roxas said Aquino was rushed to the hospital, but passed after efforts to revive him failed.  

Aquino’s family revealed that his cause of death was renal disease secondary to diabetes. The former president had been undergoing dialysis thrice a week, was preparing for a kidney transplant, and weighed only 100 pounds before his passing, said Aquino’s political affairs adviser Ronald Llamas. 

His death came as a shock to the Filipino people. Family, friends, and colleagues of the late former president mourn his death and honor the legacy he left behind.

Political Legacy

More popularly known as PNoy, Aquino served as the 15th president of the Philippines from June 2010 to June 2016. Prior to his assumption to the presidency, he had served as a senator from 2007 to 2010 and represented the Tarlac constituency in the lower house from 1998 to 2007. 

During his term as president, he vowed to go by his platform, “Daang Matuwid” or a straight and righteous path. Throughout his presidency, his fiscal management tightened spending rules and helped curb corruption, reduce government debt, and diminished the budget deficit. 

His many policies and projects such as the tourism department’s “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign also boosted the country’s economy. In the last few months of his term, the Philippines’ economy was crowned the fastest growing in Asia, hitting 6.9% growth.

Lowered interest rates from the country’s lowered global risk perception also provided more funds for the government’s social programs and infrastructure needs, making way for a swift and efficient way of delivering services to the people.

It was also under Aquino’s administration when the Philippines instituted arbitral proceedings against China due to their claims in the West Philippine Sea. The Philippines’ victory against China was announced in July 2016 after the end of his term.

Aquino’s time in office, however, was met with criticism for the poor handling of the Manila hostage incident that killed eight tourists from Hong Kong and for allegedly avoiding responsibility for the 2015 Mamasapano massacre that led to the deaths of 44 Special Action Forces. His administration was also marred with negligence and lack of urgency in the aftermath of the devastating Typhoon Yolanda that left at least 6,000 Filipinos dead.

Life as an Atenean

A true blue Atenean, Aquino studied in the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) from grade school to college. 

In his first year in high school, martial law was declared, and he spent his afternoons visiting his father, Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., in jail. Noynoy cited the Ateneo community’s collective efforts against martial law in his final commencement address to ADMU’s graduating batch of 2016.

He earned a degree in Economics in 1981, but missed his graduation because he had to travel to the United States to be with his family lest his exit visa be cancelled by dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

This afternoon, the Philippine flag at the Ateneo de Manila Senior High School was flown at half-mast in honor of Aquino.

Remembered fondly by colleagues, alma mater

Vice President Leni Robredo remembered Aquino’s legacy as chief executive in a statement posted on Twitter: “Nakakadurog ng puso ang balitang wala na si PNoy. Mabuti siyang kaibigan at tapat na Pangulo. He tried to do what was right, even when it was not popular. Tahimik at walang pagod siyang nagtrabaho para makatulong sa marami. He will be missed. Nakikiramay ako sa kanyang pamilya.”

Justice Marvic Leonen, Aqunio’s peace adviser, also expressed his grief over the former president’s death.

“It is with profound sadness that I learned this morning of the passing of former President Benigno S. Aquino III,” said Justice Leonen. “I knew him to be a kind man, driven by his passion to serve the people, diligent in his duties and with an avid and consuming curiosity about new knowledge of the world in general.”

Fr Roberto “Bobby” Yap SJ, the President of the Ateneo de Manila University, also joined the Philippines in mourning his death. “Despite the ups and downs of his term, he will be remembered as a President who showed our nation and the world how leadership with competence, conscience, compassion, and commitment can bring about a marked difference in the lives of millions of people. He will also be remembered for representing the Philippines with honor and dignity, elevating our country’s status on the world stage,” he said in a memorandum released to the Ateneo community.