Full military honors highlighted by 21-gun salutes will be given to former President and commander-in-chief Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino on Saturday, June 25, the day of his interment.
In an interview, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Marine Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said eight rounds of cannon will be fired in succession for reveille starting 5:00 AM, Friday.
"So the next after 6 o'clock reveille, the first, after the eighth round of cannon fire there will be one round of cannon to be fired at 7 o'clock and then every one hour thereafter until the hour of 5 (p.m.) after where there will be another salvo and another round of eight salvos in succession that actually, the eight rounds actually represent the eight provinces that participated in the revolution at that time," Arevalo said.
The remains of the former leader, who passed away early Thursday due to renal disease, have been cremated and will be buried beside their parents at the Manila Memorial Cemetery.
On the day of Aquino's burial, Arevalo said 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 inurnment.
A similar firing of cannons will be observed in other military camps immediately after the inurnment has been completed, he added.
The Aquino sisters, in a statement, confirmed that ex-president Noynoy Aquino has ‘died peacefully’ in his sleep due to renal disease secondary to diabetes on Thursday morning.
The only son of the late President Corazon Aquino and Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. was elected as the 15th President of the Philippines on June 30, 2010, succeeding Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
In his six-year term, PNoy has brought significant changes in the country’s economic reforms and worked to curb corruption and end poverty. He was best known for following the ‘Daang Matuwid’ stance and for the term “Kayo and Boss Ko.”
