Singapore’s president recalls Butz Aquino

The President of Singapore has paid tribute to the late former Sen. Agapito “Butz” Aquino, brother of the assassinated Benigno “Ninoy” Aguino Jr. and a freedom fighter in his own right.

“His passing is an irreplaceable loss,” said President Tony Tan Keng Yam, who added that as a senator, Butz Aquino had worked tirelessly to better the lives of all Filipinos.

Yam paid homage to Aquino in a letter of condolence he sent to the late senator’s nephew, President Benigno Aquino III. Butz Aquino died of natural causes on Aug. 17, four days before the 32nd anniversary of his late brother’s martyrdom.

The letter was forwarded by Malacañang to the late senator’s wife, Popsy Mendez-Aquino.

In the letter, Yam said he was saddened to hear about the passing of the senator who, he said, was respected for his key role in the Edsa People Power Revolution. Butz Aquino was a founder of the August Twenty-One Movement (Atom) which fought against the Marcos dictatorship.

He was a senator from 1987 to 1995 and later served as a congressman representing the second district of Makati City from 1998 to 2007.

He was acknowledged as the “Father of Philippine Cooperatives,” having authored the Cooperative Code of the Philippines, Republic Act No. 6939, which created the country’s Cooperative Development Authority. He also worked for the enactment of the Magna Carta for Small Farmers.