Senator Bam Aquino paid tribute to his late cousin, former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, on what would have been his 66th birthday, remembering him as a sincere leader with a quiet but deep love for the country.
In a Facebook post on February 8, Aquino shared that he spent more time with PNoy after the latter stepped down from office, enjoying simple moments away from the public eye.
“Nakaka-miss si PNoy,” Aquino wrote. “Wala nang kamera, wala nang entablado. Mga simpleng kuwentuhan na lang tungkol sa mga napanood sa Netflix at sa YouTube.”
He described the former president as naturally shy and often misunderstood as aloof, but deeply committed to public service.
“Sa likod ng katahimikang ‘yon, nandoon ang isang tapat at taos-pusong pagmamahal sa bayan. Walang hiningi. Walang kapalit,” Aquino said.
The senator said PNoy’s leadership gave Filipinos renewed hope, showing that honest and principled governance was possible.
He noted that slogans such as “kayo ang boss ko,” “tuwid na daan,” and “walang wang-wang” reflected PNoy’s belief that public office was about serving and empowering the people.
“Sa kaarawan mo, Kuya Noy, higit sa lahat ay pasasalamat. Paalala ka na posible pala ang isang pinunong buong puso ang alay sa bayan. Naniniwala akong sa kadulu-duluhan ng lahat, mas magiging mabait ang kasaysayan sa’yo,” Aquino concluded.
Former President Aquino served as the country’s 15th chief executive from 2010 to 2016 and passed away in 2021 due to renal disease caused by diabetes.