MANILA, Philippines — “Nakakadurog ng puso.”
This was how Vice President Leni Robredo described the passing of former President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III, who she described as a good friend and a faithful leader of the country.
Aquino died “peacefully in his sleep” due to renal disease secondary to diabetes, his family said. He was 61.
“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,” Robredo said in a tweet Thursday.
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. pic.twitter.com/mqzrPKA6dr
— Leni Robredo (@lenirobredo) June 24, 2021
“Tahimik at walang pagod siyang nagtrabaho para makatulong sa marami. He will be missed. Nakikiramay ako sa kanyang pamilya,” she added.
Following reports of the former president’s passing, tributes poured in from senators and congressmen who commended him for his service during his presidency and stint in Congress.
‘He served with passion’
In a separate statement, Robredo lauded Aquino’s courage for “facing down the systemic ills of society, in dismantling long-entrenched systems of corruption, in standing up for the country in the international stage.”
“Ginawa niya ito while occupying an office that he initially did not seek, and was in fact reluctant to run for. Pero nang tinawag siya, ibinuhos niya ang lahat ng enerhiya sa paglilingkod [But when he was called to do it, he gave his all in serving the public]. He served with passion and a deep sense of commitment to the Constitution and the country,” she added.
Robredo also recalled the kindness Aquino showed to her when her husband was killed in a plane crash.
“Naaalala ko rin ang mga sandali na nagpakita siya ng kabutihang-loob sa akin [I also remember the moments he has shown me kindness]. PNoy was a kind, steadying presence in the days after my late husband’s plane crash. Alam kong pareho kaming nagluluksa noon— nawalan ako ng asawa, at siya, ng kaibigan [I know we were both in mourning—I lost my husband, and he, lost a friend],” she said.
“He extended kindness to my daughters, at sinugurong matutugunan ang mga pangangailangan namin [and made sure that our needs are met], even after Jesse’s death. Sinalamin nito ang malasakit na laging ipinapakita ni PNoy: May dignidad, hindi magarbo, pero ever-present [This mirrors the concern that PNoy has always shown. With dignity, not extravagant but ever-present],” the vice president added.
While Aquino was kind, he also showed toughness, according to Robredo.
“And PNoy was, first and foremost, a man of integrity and honor, a man who always put the welfare of the people front and center. No amount of historical distortion can change the truth: That every decision he made was oriented towards the betterment of the Filipino people,” she said.
“Hanggang sa dulo, naniwala si PNoy sa kabutihan ng Pilipino [Until the end, PNoy believed in the kindness of the Filipino people]. And this faith inspired governance that pursued institutional reforms that uplifted many lives,” she added.