News Roundup 26 June 2021
Jun 26, 2021 • 4 min Read
Former President Aquino laid to rest beside parents | PHILSTAR.COM – Former President Benigno Aquino III was laid to rest Saturday beside his parents, democracy icons Benigno Aquino Jr. and Cory Aquino, at the Manila Memorial Park. Aquino was given full military honors upon the arrival of his urn at the private cemetery in Parañaque City. But unlike the funerals of his parents which were attended by thousands of people, only family members and a few supporters were allowed at the interment of Aquino due to COVID-19 restrictions on mass gatherings. Filipinos, some clad in the Aquino’s signature color yellow, waited along the route of the funeral convoy flashing “Laban” signs. The Aquino family had been careful to follow COVID-19 protocols during the course of the former president’s brief wake and limited the number of people who can enter the Church of the Gesú at the Ateneo de Manila University where the former president’s urn was displayed for public viewing. “We would have wanted so much more for our brother,” Kris Aquino, the youngest sister of the former president, told reporters Thursday night at The Heritage Park in Taguig City. “He could have been lying in state in Malacañang but nirerespeto na hindi pa lahat ng tao sa Pilipinas ay nababakunahan (we respect the fact that not everyone has been vaccinated.)” Aquino died in his sleep Thursday morning at the age of 61 due to renal disease secondary to diabetes after being in and out of the hospital for more than a year, according to his family. The former president largely retreated to private life following his six-year term at the helm of the country, defined by his anti-corruption campaign, steady economic growth and his decision to haul China to an international court over disputes in the West Philippine Sea.
Recovering people’s dignity, decent leadership are best tributes to Noynoy Aquino — Archbishop Villegas | INQUIRER.NET – The “best eulogy tribute” for the late former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino is to recover and preserve the decency of the country’s leaders and the dignity of the people, Archbishop Socrates Villegas said Saturday. “Eulogies have been written and spoken and shared, but the best eulogy tribute we can pay to our dear President Noy is to bring back, recover, preserve, safeguard, and never again compromise our dignity as a people and the decency of our leaders as servants, not bosses,” Archbishop Villegas said. Villegas, the main celebrant of the funeral mass for Aquino at the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City, said that the flags flown at half-mast are not only for the dead president, “but for the dying decent governance.” “Kung nagulat tayo sa kanyang biglang pagpanaw, magmasid tayo sana sa buong bansa. Hindi ba dapat din tayong magulat sa nagaganap sa ating paligid?” (If you were shocked by his sudden death, let us look at what’s happening around us. Shouldn’t we also be shocked with what’s happening around us?) Villegas likewise expressed hopes that Aquino’s death would “spark another fire within us to resurrect his example of decency and integrity.” “What a brave headstrong visionary he was, visionary na matigas ang ulo. Sayang. He still had so much to teach us about decency and integrity. He still had so much to teach us about good governance and professionalism,” he said. “The sincerest form of tribute to President Noy is to relive his life lessons of decency and ethical leadership, recover honor and dignity in our private and public lives, among us private citizens and among our leaders,” he added.
Robredo supporters organize nationwide feeding program to honor PNoy | Manila Bulletin – The supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo held a nationwide feeding program in 37 areas as a tribute to her partymate and friend, former President Benigno Aquino III, who was laid to rest on Saturday, June 26. According to Team Leni Robredo, as her supporters call their group, they held “an extensive nationwide community feeding program” in 37 areas across the country. “We want to honor the legacy of PNoy and we decided to dedicate our nationwide community feeding on June 26 for him,” David Santos, one of the volunteer coordinators of Team Leni Robredo, said. The activity was also Team Leni Robredo’s “way of expressing solidarity with the whole country in mourning the passing of PNoy.” Feeding programs in the National Capital Region were held in Quezon City (Bgry. Sacred Heart in Kamuning and Sta. Monica in Mindanao Avenue Extension), Pasay (Brgy. 193), Paranaque (Brgy. La Huerta) and Navotas (NBBS). Similar feeding programs were also held in Region II (Isabela), Region IV-A (Laguna, Quezon, Cavite and Batangas), Region IV-B (Occidental and Oriental Mindoro), Bicol Region (Masbate, Camarines Norte, Albay, Sorsogon, Camarines Sur), Western Visayas (Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros Occidental) and Central Visayas (Cebu).
6,871 new COVID-19 infections push Philippines caseload to 1.39M | Manila Bulletin – Local health authorities on Saturday reported 6,871 more COVID-19 infections, bringing the national caseload to 1,391,911.
- Active cases: 53,447 or 3.8% of the total
- Recoveries: 8,720, pushing total to 1,314,220
- Deaths: 92, bringing total to 24,224
