Members of Aquino Cabinet mourn 'boss' PNoy's death

Former members of the Cabinet on Thursday honored their former “boss” President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

In a statement, Aquino’s Executive Secretary, Atty. Paquito Ochoa, joined the nation in mourning the death of Noynoy, saying the Philippines has lost an “honest, principled, and uncompromising leader.”

“PNoy was my friend, my boss, and my president. In the years I worked with him he was a conscientious public servant who sincerely believed it was his duty to do everything he could to improve the lives of his bosses—the Filipino people—whom he selflessly served,” Ochoa said.

He said Aquino was “someone who believed in doing the right thing and inspired many others to do the same.”

Presidential spokesperson during the Aquino administration, Atty. Edwin Lacierda, honored Aquino in a post on Twitter.

“He started in politics as the son of a martyr [and] a mother who became our President. He became our President [and] governed our country [with] honest leadership, decency & civility,” Lacierda said.

“History will judge his governance w/ favor but for now, he belongs to the ages. Paalam, Mr. President,” he added.

Aquino’s Foreign Affairs secretary, Albert del Rosario, acknowledged the former chief executive by remembering their last conversation.

“In December of last year, I had a simple text message exchange with PNOY which read as follows: ‘I would like you to know, Mr. President, that there is only one person I truly look up to – and that would be YOU! Take care, Sir,’” Del Rosario recalled.

“’Thank you for your kind words, Albert. Stay safe.’ That was his simple response. There was no opportunity for us to speak again,” the former top diplomat said, noting that “We tend to say the nicest about a person or persons when they are no longer alive.

Former Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky Soliman also looked back on how Aquino was very keen on numbers especially when public funds are involved.

“Hindi pwedeng haharap ka sa kanya na hindi kumpleto ang datos mo at hindi kumpleto ang iyong pagsusuri at matalas ang mata ni Pangulong PNoy lalo na sa usapin ng numbers dahil napakalaki ng responsibilidad para sa kanya, naming lahat, ana pera, na ang kaban ng bayan ay hindi malustay,” Soliman said in an interview on DzBB.

(You cannot present before him if you have incomplete data and incomplete analysis because his eyes are very sharp on numbers. For him, public funds are a big responsibility for the Cabinet members. He wants to make sure that the money will not be put to waste.)

She also recalled how Aquino consulted each member of his Cabinet to reach a consensus and arrive at a good decision on various matters.

For Soliman, the legacy that Aquino left in the Department of Social Welfare and Development was the expansion of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program commonly know as the 4Ps.

“Siya ang pumayag na palawakin at dagdagan ang budget. Nakita niya na ang pananatili ng mga bata sa eskwelahan, pananatili ng kalusugan, ‘yan ang magbibigay ng kinabukasan sa ating mahihirap dahil sila ang mag-aahon sa sarili nila mula sa kahirapan,” she said.

(He was the one who agreed to expand and increase the budget of the program. He saw that keeping the children in schools and maintaining the public’s health are keys in helping them overcome poverty.)

“‘Yan ang isang malaking legacy niya talaga dahil kung ‘di niya sinuportahan ang 4Ps, di naman lalawak ito nang kasing lawak ng iniwanan namin,” she added.

(That is one of his biggest legacies because if he did not support the 4Ps, the program will not expand and reach more families.)

Before they leave their posts, Soliman said there were 4.4 million beneficiaries that were enrolled in the 4Ps program.

Soliman said Aquino and the former Cabinet members remained “in touch” with each other through texts and calls even before the pandemic.

On Thursday morning, Aquino was rushed to Capitol Medical Center in Quezon City and eventually declared dead.

According to a statement read by his sister Pinky Aquino-Abellada on Thursday afternoon at Heritage Park, Aquino was pronounced dead at 6:30 a.m. due to renal disease secondary to diabetes.

Abellada also said her brother had been in and out of hospital even before the COVID-19 pandemic. —NB, GMA News