The Muntinlupa City Council passed a resolution Monday honoring the late President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, who died on June 24 at age 61.
According to an online post by Majority Floor Leader Raul Corro, Resolution 2021-511 was passed “expressing our heartfelt condolences to the family of the late former President Benigno ‘Noynoy’ S. Cojuangco Aquino III and recognizing his invaluable legacy and contribution to the development and progress of the country during his term in office (2010-2016) as he served with honesty and integrity, professionalism and decency.”
Aquino, who served as the 15th president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016, was pronounced dead at 6:30 a.m. on June 24 due to renal disease secondary to diabetes, according to his family. He also served as representative of the District of Tarlac from 1998 to 2007 and senator from 2007 to 2010.
The resolution stated that “President Aquino was the only son of the nation's esteemed democracy icons, the late former Senator Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino, Jr. and the late former President Corazon C. Aquino, who were both instrumental in restoring freedom and democracy in the country after long years of authoritarian rule under the Marcos Martial Law regime.”
According to the City Council, “with his death, it is imperative that we must recognize his legacy and contribution to the development and progress of the country under his leadership.”
“Whereas, during his term as President, he anchored his governance on his anti-corruption campaign ‘Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap’ and made ‘Daang Matuwid’ his administration's mantra by institutionalizing transparency and accountability in national and local governance,” it said.
The resolution added that “his belief that the Filipino people are his bosses (‘Kayo ang Boss ko!’) as expressed during his inaugural speech clearly showed his keen awareness that his power resides in the people and that all government authority emanates from them.”
It said that “such belief guided him well during his tenure in Malacanang Palace as he served with honesty and integrity, professionalism and decency, doing his work diligently and without much fanfare and performing the task as Chief Executive with self-effacing humility and in the process, he never abused the enormous power reposed upon him as the President of the Republic of the Philippines.”
“Whereas, such upright character shown by President 'Pnoy' was painstakingly built and moulded while he was growing up without his father beside him and further guided by his father's heartfelt letter to him on Aug. 25, 1973 (when he was at a tender age of 13) and being the only son of the five children of ‘Ninoy’ and ‘Cory’ (the sisters are Ballsy, Pinky, Viel and Kris), giving him the enormous responsibility of taking care of his mother and four sisters as ‘Ninoy’ was facing a Military Commission that tried him for subversion and murder and which was expected to mete him the highest penalty of death once found guilty as charged,” according to the resolution.
In the letter, Ninoy told Noynoy to "live with dignity and follow your conscience"... and "serve them with all your heart, with all your ability and with all your strength."
The City Council cited the Aquino administration’s achievements including “the Conditional Cash Transfer Program (4Ps), the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the Sin Tax Law, the K to 12 program in education and the historic victory in the International Arbitral Tribunal regarding the West Philippine Sea.”
“Whereas, it is incumbent upon us, the Filipino people and our elected leaders to pursue our claim over the West Philippine Sea as a way to honor the memory of the late President,” the resolution read.
A copy of the resolution will be given to the Aquino family, National Historical Institute, Aquino Museum and Museo de Muntinlupa “to form part of their official record.”