Former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III has died on Thursday morning for unconfirmed illness. He was 61.
Aquino was reportedly rushed at the Capitol Medical Center in Quezon City. Unconfirmed reports have it the former president had been suffering from lung cancer.
Aquino is the son of firebrand political leader Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. and the late President Corazon Aquino, both democracy icons. He mounted his candidacy shortly after the death of his mother in 2009 as Liberal Party’s presidential candidate running on a “Daang Matuwid” platform.
During his term, the Philippines brought China to an international court over a dispute in the West Philippine Sea. The arbitral tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines in 2016 during the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Among the issues that transpired under his administration include the Mamasapano clash, where 44 Special Action Forces soldiers have died at the hands of Muslim militants in the South; the Rizal Park hostage-taking incident where nine Hong Kong tourists have died including the policeman-perpetrator, the response to Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2013 and so on.
Aquino was replaced by President Rodrigo Duterte. Before his presidency, Aquino had served as senator from 2007 to 2010 and a representative of Tarlac from 1998 to 2007.