Filipinos paid their last respects to their "Mother of democracy," former President Corazon C. Aquino, before she was finally laid to rest yesterday, August 4, at the Manila Memorial Park. Her remains were interred beside her late husband, former Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino.
Uploaded: August 06, 2009
While the necrological mass was being held inside the Manila Cathedral, the flatbed truck that would bring former President Cory Aquino to her final resting place was parked in front of the church.
The flatbed was carpeted with white orchids and yellow stargazers. Kris Aquino had related in an interview that her Tita Tessie dreamt of their late father Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino asking her to give stargazers to their mom at the time she was ailing.
In the necrological service for Pres. Cory last Tuesday, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim said in his eulogy, "Utang namin sa iyo ang lahat ng tinatamasa naming kalayaan ngayon."
Back then, Lim was one of the police officers who helped President Cory during the EDSA Revolution in 1986.
Former DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman asked the public to participate in the "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" campaign for President Cory weeks before Cory died last August 1.
She said in a TV interview that it was a way of showing respect to the then ailing President for bringing back democracy to our country.
Pasig Representative Robert "Dudut" Jaworski, Jr. also attended the funeral. Later, PEP saw his wife, former actress Mikee Cojuanco, with her father and Pres. Cory's brother Jose "Peping" Cojuangco.
(Clockwise from top) Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, Sen. Bong Revilla with wife Lani Mercado, and former Senator Rodolfo Biazon were among several public officials who paid their last respects to the former President.
(Clockwise from left) Senators Mar Roxas and Manny Villar, and Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando attended the requiem mass for Pres. Cory at the Manila Cathedral.
These three gentlemen have already declared their intention to run for presidency in the coming 2010 election.
President Cory's former socio-economic planning secretary Solita "Mareng Winnie" Monsod (right) said in an interview that the late president's main agenda during her term was to build democratic institutions in our country.
She and husband Christian Monsod (left) joined the former cabinet members of President Aquino who attended the requiem mass yesterday.
East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta broke protocol when he came to Manila to attend the funeral of Pres. Cory. Diplomats said it was not proper for a head of state to do so, given the fact that it was not a state funeral.
President Ramos-Horta explained that Cory Aquino had inspired him greatly in leading his country.
National Capital Region Police Director, Chief Supt. Roberto Rosales (left), talked to one of the police officers about security during the funeral procession from the Manila Cathedral to the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque.
When the funeral mass was about to end, police troops started lining in front of the Manila Cathedral (below), while police officers practised how they were going to carry Pres. Cory's coffin down to the flower-laden truck.
Before they lifted Pres. Cory's coffin onto the flatbed truck, police generals gave a salute to their former Commander-in-Chief while the national anthem was played by the Army's band.
President Cory's children—Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino, Maria Elena "Ballsy" Aquino-Cruz, Aurora Corazon "Pinky" Aquino-Abellada, Victoria
Eliza "Viel" Aquino-Dee, and Kristina Bernadette Aquino- Yap, more popularly known as
actress-TV host Kris Aquino—rode in a coaster with their spouses and children.
With them was the family's close friend, Bishop Socrates Villegas, who cherished the relationship he had built with Cory.
At the requiem mass yesterday, Bishop Villegas stated, "We who are still here on earth are not ready to say goodbye. We will
never meet a woman as great as you for a very long time. We will miss
you."
Makati Representative Teddy Locsin recalled the lessons he learned from the former president, with whom he worked as her press secretary and speech writer.
In his eulogy for his former boss, he related, "I did not notice that I was doing right by serving a woman who never
did wrong. I am not sure how to take this moral self-discovery. It is
so unlike myself. But if it will bring me before her again, I am happy."
It took eight hours to bring Cory Aquino's coffin from the Manila Cathedral to Manila Memorial Park. The Aquino family left Manila at past 11:00 a.m. and arrived in Parañaque minutes before 8:00 p.m.
Throughout the funeral procession, the coffin of Pres. Cory was guarded by four uniformed men, each representing the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Navy, and Philippine Air Force.
These men, who endured the rain, standing upright in military fashion, and probably even hunger, were Army Pfc. Antonio Cadiente, Airman Second Class Gener Laguindan, Navy
Petty Officer 3 Edgardo Rodriguez and Police Officer 1 Danilo Maalab.
Despite the heavy rains, Filipinos from all walks of life patiently waited for the arrival of Cory Aquino's funeral cortege. Many even joined the procession by walking from Intramuros, Manila to Parañaque.
