Noynoy Aquino did not want relatives to be his kidney donor —Almendras

The late former President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III did not want his relatives to donate their kidney for him, his close friend and former Cabinet secretary Rene Almendras said Monday.

Almendras said that while the former president initially refused to have a kidney transplant, he eventually agreed to it and plans were in motion for a place where he can recover for at least a year.

"Originally he didn't believe in the idea of a kidney transplant, then he became more open on one condition, he told me, hindi pwedeng galing sa kamag-anak ko (it should not come from a relative)," Almendras said in a CNN Philippines interview.

"He did not want them to sacrifice a part of their body for him. But I did research and were told by doctors it did not need to come from a relative due to technology. Donors were screened in [the last] three to four weeks," he added.

Almendras said that doctors told them the former state leader cannot be around dogs after the kidney transplant, and Aquino already asked people to take care of his dogs, including Apollo, since he will be staying in a beach house or a farm for recovery.

He further said the family and friends of the late president have scouted a beach house and a farm where Aquino could recover after the kidney transplant.

"He cannot be exposed to them [dogs] for around a year, so we scouted a beach house where he said, okay, beach, since he can walk around and did not want to be stuck in a room, and this small farm in Alfonso, Cavite where there is vegetation, fruits," Almendras said.

"I was worried on angiogram but it was okay, the cardio [doctor] said we did not have challenge on heart, we are going forward," he added.

Aquino, 61, died in his sleep last June 24 due to renal failure secondary to diabetes. He was cremated the same day.

He was laid to rest on Saturday, June 26, at Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque beside his parents, former president Corazon Aquino and slain opposition senator Benigno Aquino Jr. —AOL, GMA News