Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong paid tribute to former President Benigno Aquino III, saying he had a “lifetime of illustrious public service.”
Lee expressed sadness of the sudden demise of Aquino as he joined the nation in mourning him.
“My heart goes out to his family, and to the Filipino people. His passing is a great loss to the Philippines,” Lee said in a Facebook post Friday night.
The prime minister recalled that he had the pleasure of meeting Aquino many times over the years. One of which was Aquino’s visit to Singapore in 2014.
Lee noted Singapore and Philippines worked together to advance regional cooperation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).
READ: https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/24/aquino-tributes-pour-in-from-around-the-world/
“As President, he brought stability and rapid economic progress to the Philippines, and pursued policies that improved the lives and well-being of his fellow countrymen,” he said.
As a public servant, Aquino had a “strong obligation to serve,” the Singaporean leader added.
“He served in the House of Representatives, then the Senate, and later the Presidency. He felt a strong obligation to serve, especially due to his family history – both his parents were prominent political icons in the country,” he said.
Known as Noynoy, the only son of Philippine democracy icons Benigno Aquino Jr. and Corazon Aquino, died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, June 24, due to renal disease secondary to diabetes. He was 61.
He will be laid to rest next to his parents at Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City Saturday, June 26.