June 24, 2021
Binabalot ng malalim na pagluluksa ang Partido Liberal sa pagpanaw ng aming Chairman Emeritus, si Pangulong Benigno S. Aquino III.
Sinasalamin ng tawag nating lahat sa kanya— PNoy— ang diwa ng kanyang pagka-Pangulo: Tunay na kaisa ng karaniwang Pinoy; sumasagisag sa pinakamatataas nating ideyal; may tapang at sigasig sa harap ng maraming hamon.
With his passing, the country lost one of the finest examples of what a President should be: Someone whose integrity cannot be questioned, who had foresight and will, who never stole, whose actions aligned with his words. Sa kahit anong situwasyon, iisa ang tanong niya: How do we best serve the Filipino people? Sa ganitong pilosopiya— simple ngunit galing sa malalim na bukal ng prinsipyo— milyon-milyong Pilipino ang nailayo sa gutom, nagkatrabaho, at nabigyan ng pagkakataong mangarap muli. Under his leadership, systemic corruption that had calcified for generations began to be dismantled. Nawala ang wang-wang sa kalsada, simbolo ng pang-aabuso ng makapangyarihan. Iginalang tayo ng buong mundo: Filipinos the world over could hold their head up high, knowing that the country was on an upward trajectory, and that the topmost level of government was conducting itself with honor.
PNoy was hard on the corrupt but was inclusive in empowering the people. Wala siyang piniling distrito o probinsya na mas pahahalagahan sa iba. While the Liberal Party grew in numbers, even those from other parties enjoyed fair processes for their projects: Gaya ng lagi, basta makakatulong sa Pilipino, isinulong ni PNoy nang walang nakikitang political colors.
When the veneer of disinformation fades and history holds everyone to account, Filipinos will realize what they had lost today. Mabuting tao si PNoy, at pinabuti ni PNoy ang buhay ng Pilipino. Mahusay at dakila siyang pinuno. Napakarami niyang natulungan. Ibinigay niya ang lahat para mapaglingkuran tayo.
Madalas sabihin ni PNoy sa kanyang mga talumpati ang kanyang layunin: To leave the world better than when he found it. PNoy may rest in peace knowing that in every aspect within his control, the country was better through his leadership. The rest is up to us. Magpapahinga na si PNoy sa kaniyang biyahe, pero tuloy pa rin, palagi, ang Daang Matuwid.
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