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Cory Aquino gets wish to be laid to rest beside Ninoy


FAREWELL, 'TITA CORY.' The country bids goodbye to the nation's mother, former President Corazon Aquino, on Wednesday. GMANews video grab
After an almost eight-hour procession through rainy streets and grateful throngs, former President Corazon Aquino was laid to rest beside her husband’s grave - just as she wished - at the Manila Memorial Park Wednesday evening. The funeral procession mirrored the historic funeral of opposition leader Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. in 1983 that sparked popular protests, eventually catapulting Mrs. Aquino to the presidency. Her remains were laid to rest at 8:20 p.m. as the crowd cheered and shouted: "Cory! Cory! Cory!" Armed Forces chief Gen. Victor Ibrado handed over the Philippine flag that was used to cover Mrs. Aquino's casket to her only son, Sen. Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III. Mrs. Aquino's children - Noynoy, Ballsy Aquino-Cruz, Pinky Aquino-Abellada, Viel Aquino-Dee and Kris Aquino-Yap - bade goodbye to their mother as her coffin was slowly pushed into the tomb by uniformed servicemen. Full military honors were accorded to Mrs. Aquino when the presidential cortege arrived at the Manila Memorial Park at around 7:20 p.m. Earlier, a helicopter hovered above the cortege continuously as the funeral procession crawled from the Manila Cathedral towards the memorial park. Mrs. Aquino's cortege left the cathedral at 11:45 a.m. Hundreds of thousands lined the streets to watch the Cory cortege, but this time the mood was celebratory, unlike Ninoy's funeral that turned into a protest march against strongman Ferdinand Marcos. "Salamat Cory" was the repeated message on banners, posters, and T-shirts displayed in the streets of the capital. [See: Ninoy supporters unfurl 26-year-old banner for Cory] More than a hundred buses and cars joined the slow-moving convoy on Cory's farewell journey across Manila. The multitudes wielded cameras and phones beneath their umbrellas to record the historic event for posterity. Some groups used the occasion to denounce the Arroyo administration. A banner of militant organization Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino and Sanlakas read: "Paalam Cory. Tuloy ang laban para sa demokrasya ng bayan. Patalsikin si Gloria!" (Goodbye Cory. Continue the fight for the country's democracy. Oust Gloria!) Among the prominent officials who attended the burial was East Timor President Jose Ramos-Horta who waited for hours for the cortege to arrive. Several government officials and former Cabinet members of Mrs. Aquino were also in attendance. Former President Fidel V. Ramos, Mrs. Aquino's successor and staunch supporter, skipped the burial rites citing 'old age' as the reason. "At age 81, no need to go to the station terminal because you're here in the departure area," Ramos jokingly told reporters when asked if he will proceed to the Manila Memorial Park. [See: FVR to skip Cory burial at Manila Memorial Park]
'Filipinos are worth it'


Kris Aquino, the youngest child of Cory, received thunderous applause at the Manila Cathedral when she said that her family's sacrifices were all worth it. "No matter how great the sacrifices of my parents, I can honestly say to all of you that for my family, the Filipinos are worth it," she said in her 17-minute speech.
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Before dawn Wednesday, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visited Mrs. Aquino's wake and stayed there for seven minutes. Noynoy, who welcomed President Arroyo at the church, was informed by his aunt and an Arroyo adviser, Lupita Aquino Kashiwara, that the chief executive was supposed to stay for 30 minutes, but left the church earlier than expected. [See: Fresh from US, Arroyo visits Cory wake for seven minutes] The 76-year-old Aquino, who passed away at 3:18 am on Aug. 1, was diagnosed with colon cancer in March of last year and was treated with chemotherapy. Last May, she underwent surgery to remove parts of her colon and was brought to the Makati Medical Center (MMC) in June due to loss of appetite. She never left the hospital, as her declining condition sparked a wave of emotion in the country and prompted the widespread appearance of yellow ribbons - on trees, car antennas, and even the Web. 'How can we thank you?' A tearful Kris, who delivered the response of the Aquino family during the requiem Mass, said they were very thankful for the overwhelming response of the Filipino people. "How can we thank you all for your effort to line up despite the heat of the sun and the heavy rains just to get a glimpse of our mommy, to pay your respects and to pray for her for the last time?" Kris said in Filipino. Mrs. Aquino's other daughters Ballsy Aquino-Cruz, Pinky Aquino-Abellada, Viel Aquino-Dee and their respective families were seen taking their seats inside the cathedral around 8:30 a.m., half an hour before the scheduled 9 a.m. funeral Mass for the democracy icon. Kris was with her husband James Yap and their sons, Joshua and Baby James. The men were clad in barong tagalog, while the women were in black dresses. Like EDSA again Lea Salonga performed a soaring rendition of "Bayan Ko" at the Mass for Mrs. Aquino, who honored her in 1990 after a critical acclaim in the Broadway musical "Miss Saigon."
With the downpour of confetti and "L" slogan shooting in the air, the funeral procession of Cory Aquino brought back mourners to the 1986 People's Power revolution. - Photos by Joe Galvez
"Parang EDSA ulit. Naluluha ako (It's like EDSA all over again. I'm tearing up)," said one of the mourners who braved the rains outside the Manila Cathedral after the final note was sung. Mourners then raised the "L" or "Laban" (fight) sign reminiscent of the rallies and demonstrations during the dying years of the Marcos regime. [See: Lea Salonga's 'Bayan Ko' rendition brings mourners back to EDSA '86] Dressed in her signature yellow, Mrs. Aquino rallied the middle class in a series of protests culminating in the 1986 people power revolt at the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) that toppled the 20-year regime of strongman Ferdinand Marcos and swept her to the presidency. She blamed the Marcos government for the assassination of her husband who was gunned down at the Manila airport upon returning from exile in 1983. The requiem Mass, officiated by Balanga, Bataan Bishop Socrates Villegas, brought together former presidents, senior politicians, lawmakers, local government officials, and industry stakeholders. Aside from Ramos, among those present in the Mass were former president Joseph Estrada, US Ambassador Kristie Kenney, Timor Leste's Ramos-Horta and other foreign dignitaries. After the Mass, several police chief superintendents (equivalent to one-star general in the military) brought Mrs. Aquino's casket to the cortege outside the church. As the sky cleared, yellow confetti rained down on the mourners. People who had been waiting for hours to pay their respects, began to applaud and shout, "Cory! Cory! Cory!" Along the road in Sucat leading to the cemetery where Mrs. Aquino’s remains would be laid to rest appeared throngs with personalized umbrellas and shirts expressing adoration for the former president. [See: Entrepreneurs see Cory wake as just another business opportunity] Even grumbling stomachs did not faze the mourners as they continued to keep to their posts along the highways for fear of missing their chance to show their support for the former president. One mentioned that the “sacrifices" they were making were small compared to those Aquino had made for the country. A Facebook user, Jheng Barican, commented on GMANews.TV’s Cory Aquino tribute page: “Ang Pilipino, subok na matiyaga at matiisin (Filipinos are persevering and adaptable)" – qualities that were in abundance during the nearly eight-hour funeral procession. [See: Moved by Cory, Web mourners vow to vote] - GMANews.TV
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