Former president Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday due to kidney disease, his sisters said, adding it was "mission accomplished" for the 61-year-old.
Even before the pandemic, Aquino had been in-and-out of the hospital, his sister Pinky Aquino-Abellada told reporters. He expired at 6:30 a.m. due to renal disease secondary to diabetes.
"No words can express how broken our hearts are and how long it will take for us to accept the reality that he is gone," said Aquino-Abellada, the second in the brood of five.
"Mission accomplished ka, 'Noy. Now, be happy with Mom and Dad. We love you and we are so blessed to have had the privilege to have had you as our brother. We’ll miss you forever," she added.
The bachelor former president is survived by his sisters Ballsy, Pinky, Viel, and Kris and their families.
"PNoy" to the masses, Aquino is the only son of democracy icons Cory and Ninoy, and was elected the 15th president of the Philippines in 2010, shortly after the death of his mother in 2009.
A bachelor until his death, Aquino ran on the platform "Daang Matuwid" and is remembered for the economic gains achieved by the country during his term. It was also during his presidency that the Philippines brought China to the international arbitral tribunal to fight for the West Philippine Sea.
After stepping down from office, Aquino stayed largely out of the public eye. He was succeeded by incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte.