Full military honors highlighted by gun salutes will be accorded to the late former President and commander-in-chief, Benigno Simeon ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III until his inurnment on Saturday,
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will pay full military honors to former President Benigno “PNoy” Aquino who died Thursday, June 24.
AFP spokesperson Marine Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said eight rounds of cannon were fired in succession for reveille starting 5 a.m. Friday. Succeeding cannon fires have been scheduled at proper intervals until hin interment on Saturday.
The eight rounds fired represent the eight provinces that participated first rebelled against Spain.
At 10 a.m. on Friday, Arevalo said all available personnel at AFP General Headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, and other military units, as well as the cadets of the Philippine Military Academy, Philippine Merchant Marine Academy, and the Philippine Air Force Flying School will assemble and the official notice of the death of former president will be read in their presence.
President Rodrigo Duterte has declared June 24 to July 3 as a Period of National Mourning for the passing of his predecessor.
On Saturday, there will be a 21-gun salute with the guns fired at one-minute intervals, starting when the former president’s remains will be moved from the area where the necrological services were held or until the time that he reaches the place of interment.
A similar firing of cannons will be observed in other military camps immediately after the interment has been completed, he added.
“We are going to make the necessary arrangements to render these protocols and honors and ceremonies befitting a former president. On his interment, available personnel will be lining up the road to provide necessary honors to the president as his funeral is moved from the place where the necrological services were made or were done up to the place where he will be interred,” he said.
The remains of the former president were transferred on Friday to the Church of the Gesu in Ateneo University campus in Quezon City where PNoy earned his BS Economics degree. It will be available for public viewing from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Masses will be held at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Entertainment celebrity Kris Aquino, sister of the former president, said the interment will be held on Saturday beside the tombs of their parents, former senator Benigno Aquino Jr. and former President Corazon Aquino at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City.
The former president was pronounced dead at 6:30 a.m. last Thursday from “renal disease secondary to diabetes.”