Rodrigo Roa Duterte

Remarks on the Passing of President Benigno Aquino III

delivered 24 June, Rizal Hall, Malacañang Palace, Manila, Republic of the Philippines

Audio AR-XE mp3 of Address

[AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text version below transcribed directly from audio]

Kindly sit down. Salamat po. [Thank you.]

Maybe I -- Maybe [I’m] allowed to read this message to the family of the late Benigno S. Aquino III and the entire country.

It is with profound sadness that I learned of the passing of the former President Benigno S. Aquino III this morning. We thank the former President for his service to our country. I hope that my fellow Filipinos will be inspired by his legacy.

I offer my heartfelt condolences to the Aquino family. Be assured of the
government’s assistance in this period of mourning and, above all, please
accept the love and the prayers of a grateful nation.

Before we proceed, [let us] take a moment of silence to honor the memory and pray for the eternal repose of the soul of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.

May he rest in peace.

[Silence observed]

You know, as always when I talk to the family -- I had a chance to talk to the family of the ‘yong namatay [the departed]. I could hardly find the -- the right words to say the -- the condolences.

So -- But every time sinasabi ko na para naman ito sa lahat sa atin [I say this to all of us]: Ecclesiastes 3. And the -- the long and short of the message there is there is always a time for everything in this planet. So whatever it is we'll always have our appointed time.

So sometimes we just take for granted life, but in times like these, lalo
na na kilalang presidente [especially that this is a well-known president], we always put on notice of our mortality in this world that also we cannot last forever.

Official Statement.pdf

Official Proclamation.pdf

Original Texts and Audio Source: pcoo.gov.ph

Audio Note: AR-XE = American Rhetoric Extreme Enhancement

Page Updated: 6/26/21

U.S. Copyright Status:  Texts and Audio = Public domain per this notice on the Philippine Government website: "All content is in the public domain unless otherwise stated."