The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) rendered full military honors to former President Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III who was laid to his final resting place at the Manila Memorial Park in Sucat, Paranaque City Saturday noon, June 26.
The inurnment began at 10 a.m. with a necrological mass held at the Church of Gesu at Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City where his remains were brought for a full-day public viewing a day before.
Around 11:30 a.m., Aquino's urn was brought out from the church by pall bearers from the Presidential Security Group (PSG) as it is transported to the Manila Memorial Park where his parents' tombs, democracy icons Ninoy and Cory, were also located.
As the urn started to move out of the Ateneo Church, a 21-gun salute was held at one-minute interval in major military camps in Metro Manila namely the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) General Headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Philippine Army Headquarters at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City, Philippine Navy Headquarters at Fort Abad in Manila, and Philippine Air Force Headdquarters at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.
Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, served as the military host while major service commanders were the co-hosts as they received Aquino's urn at the Manila Memorial Park around 12:30 p.m.
A "Badge of Mourning", a black band, was worn at the left arm sleeves of the military generals' uniform above the elbow. Sobejana said this would be worn for 30 days reckoned from the "Notice of Death" of Aquino to all AFP personnel nationwide, which was held on Friday, June 25.
Sobejana met Aquino's sisters -- Ballsy, Pinky, Viel, and actress Kris -- and the rest of his family around 12:30 p.m. as they disembarked from a bus while they handed the urn to the pall bearers -- who are all AFP generals -- waiting at the cemetery.
A brigade-size military unit led the arrival honors for Aquino.
After the arrival honors, the urn was loaded to a hearse for the funeral march to the gravesite as flowers were dropped by flying helicopters from the Philippine Air Force (PAF).
Upon reaching the gravesite, the urn was brought by the pall bearers to a platform for the interment ceremony.
The Aquino family and the attendees said their final prayers and the pall bearers spread out the Philippine flag holding it above the urn.
A 21-gun salute was given as the military gave their final "pugay kamay" or salute to their former Commander in Chief. It was followed by the folding of the flag which was passed among the pall bearers to Sobejana, who handed it over to Aquino's sisters.
Simultaneous gun salutes were also conducted at AFP's distant military camps including the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) at Fort del Pilar in Baguio City; Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) at Camp Aquino in Tarlac City; Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) at Camp Gen. Nakar in Lucena City; Western Command (WESCOM) at Camp. Gen. Artemio Ricarte in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan; Central Command (CENTCOM) at Camp Lapu-Lapu in Cebu City; Eastern Mindanao Command (EASTMINCOM) at Camp Panacan in Davao City; and Western Mindanao Command (WESTMINCOM) at Camp Navarro in Zamboanga City.
Sobejana said the entire AFP will observe 30 days of mourning as stated in their military regulations.
Aquino died in his sleep on Thursday morning, June 24, due to renal disease secondary to diabetes. He was 61.