FLAGS in almost all government buildings flew at half-mast even though if there is still no official announcement yet from the family of former President Benigno Aquino III.
Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr., order the Philippine flag at the provincial capitol in Marawi City to be flown at half mast for the “initiator of the peace process between the national government and the Bangsamoro.”
“We deeply mourn the death of former President Benigno “Noynoy” C. Aquino, III.,” Adiong said.
At the Kampo Ranao, headquarters of the Army 103rd Infantry Brigade, Brig. Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo said their flag will fly half mast starting tomorrow.
“We have already raised the flag this morning and following protocol it can not be lowered. So we start tomorrow,” Cuerpo said.
The local government of Zamboanga city also lowered their flag to half-mast crediting Aquino for his handling of the siege in 2013.
“At the height of the siege, he held office in Zamboanga City for 21 days to personally oversee the operations, as government forces fought to defend the city from the MNLF,” the LGU said in its Facebook wall.
In Cagayan de Oro, Mayor Oscar Moreno, a political ally, ordered the flag at City Hall to be flown at half-mast.
Most leaders in Mindanao remembered Aquino for the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro during his six-year administration.
On June 16, 2015, Aquino and Moro Islamic Liberation Front Chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim inspect the 70 firearms decommissioned in Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao.
“His administration showed its commitment to working with the Bangsamoro people and facilitated a peace process that help ease the burden of armed conflict and displacement of the Bangsamoro people,” Bangsamoro Transitional Authority Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said.
Meranaw leader Samira Gutoc said she was saddened by the death of the former presidents.
“He was a calm leader, an epitome, the one who believed first and foremost in reforms in a post-Ampatuan era of the autonomous region,” Gutoc said.
Moro Consensus Group Chair Drieza Lininding said the Bangsamoro people should credit Aquino for not launching a bloody military operation in Mindanao.
Lininding said the Mamasapano incident that left 42 police officers and 18 MILF fighters killed in January 2015, was targeted against Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli Abdhir alias Marwan.
Even during the Zamboanga siege in 2013, Lininding said Aquino stayed in the city for 21 day to ensure that the fighting would not spread.
“I have to give it to President Noy,bilang isa sa naging kritiko(pero wala ako personal na galit) ng kanyang administrasyon noon dahil sa nangyari sa (Mamasapano at BBL), pero kumpara sa iba siya lang ata walang inilunsad na gyera kontra sa mga Komunidad ng Moro o pinapatay na mga Moro(di tulad ngayon,” Lininding said.
Bangsamoro Local Government Minister Naguib Sinarimbo said it was during the administration of Aquino that the pace of the negotiations between the government and MILF accelerated.
Balay Mindanaw Foundation Chair Charlito Manlupig said they remembered they played host to Aquino as he made his journey of discernment in Mindanao before the 2010 elections.
“We honor and celebrate his life, his legacy and significant contribution to peacebuilding in Mindanao,” Manlupig said.
