Noy: It’s a great honor to serve my bosses

MANILA, Philippines – It is a great honor to serve the Filipino people and leave behind a better Philippines, President Aquino said yesterday.

Speaking in public for the first time since the May 9 elections, Aquino told the nation that he would be leaving behind a government in better shape than when he took office.

“Until the end, it is a great honor for a Noynoy Aquino to serve a noble race, my bosses, you, the Filipino nation,” he said.

Aquino stressed he would be stepping down without regrets, knowing he did and would do his best to be of service until his last day in the presidency.

“What I can say is, this coming June 30, at exactly 12 noon, I will step down from office at peace. I can look back at the Filipino nation with head held up high and tell them eye-to-eye: I have been true to all of you. I fulfilled the mandate given to me by my bosses. We can truly bequeath to the next generation a Philippines that is undeniably better than what we found,” Aquino said in his speech after the signing of Republic Act 10821 or the Children’s Emergency Relief and Protection Act.

“Moreover, we were able to do this because we helped one another, we uplifted each other and put the nation first before our own selves, before our own welfare,” the President said.

Aquino said as of yesterday, he has 43 days left as the country’s chief executive, but would continue to work and take the opportunity to serve.

Aquino refrained from mentioning anything about the elections but stayed to have a photo opportunity with the children and other guests during the ceremonial signing of the new law.

Before he began his speech, Aquino also took notice of one of the children in the audience who looked very serious.

“The smallest but the most serious today. Take a look, even the way he claps is really for all intents and purposes,” Aquino remarked.

Aquino has been saying he was looking forward to having a vacation and leading a normal and quiet life after stepping down from office.

He said he would like to see the various tourism sites in the country.

Asked about the possible role Aquino would play after being president, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said Tuesday the chief executive could continue to take part in democratic processes like his late mother Corazon, and push for advocacies of civil society and non-governmental organizations, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises.