FORMER president Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino 3rd died  on Thursday morning

By Edward Era Barbacena

MANILA, Philippines — Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, the fifteenth president of the Philippines, died on Thursday, June 24, sources confirmed. He was 61.

Aquino, the son of democracy icons Ninoy and Cory Aquino, died this morning. He was rushed at the Capitol Medical Center in Quezon City.

Aquino was elected the 15th president of the Philippines on June 30, 2010, succeeding Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He mounted his candidacy shortly after the death of his mother in 2009. 

Running on a “Daang Matuwid” platform, he vowed an administration that would eradicate corruption, pull more Filipinos out of poverty, and ensure transparency in governance. 

Aquino’s legacy lies on the improvements in the country’s economy. It was also during his term that then Chief Justice Renato Corona was impeached.

But the biggest catastrophes that plagued his administration were the Mamasapano clash, which cost the lives of more than 60 Filipinos — including 44 Special Action Force police commandos — the Supreme Court ruling on the Disbursement Acceleration Program, and the response to Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2013. 

He ended his term on June 30, 2016, succeeded by President Rodrigo Duterte.