Even in death, Cory Aquino can still attract supporters

Less than three months after her death, former President Corazon "Cory" Aquino continues to be loved and idolized, as shown by people who visited her tomb in a Parañaque cemetery on Sunday during the observance of All Saints' Day. A report on dzRH radio said well-wishers went to the tomb of Mrs. Aquino and her husband, slain senator Benigno Aquino Jr., at the Manila Memorial Park to offer prayers and flowers. Many of the visitors also posed for pictures at the tomb after paying their respects. Among those who visited the Aquino couple's tomb were four of their children, including their only son, Liberal Party's presidential prospect Sen. Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III, a television report said Sunday night. "Up to now we're still getting used to the fact that she's no longer with us," Noynoy said. Television personality Kris Aquino-Yap did not visit the tomb of her parents on Sunday as she dropped by the place on Saturday. A report on the special edition of "24 Oras" said among those who first visited the Aquino couple's tomb on All Saints' Day to offer flowers were Rudolph Lazaro and his son Randolph.

‘Idol’ Interviewed by reporter Kara David, Randolph said Mrs. Aquino was his idol. "Gusto po namin makita yung idol kong si Cory... Kasi po siya yung nagbigay ng kapayapaan dito (We want to see my idol Cory, because she was the one who brought peace in this country)," said Randolph. Randolph, 12, was not even born when Mrs. Aquino led the historic 1986 People Power Revolution that toppled the Marcos dictatorship, the report noted. Mrs. Aquino died last August 1 after months of battling colon cancer. She was buried beside her husband, who was assassinated in 1983. Near the Aquino couple's tomb was Rolando Galman's, which the report said looked unkempt and unvisited for years. Galman was said to be the man who shot Ninoy on August 21, 1983 at the then Manila International Airport. Mr. Aquino was then returning to the country from his exile in the "Nililinis na lang ho namin yung puntod niya kasi kawawa naman (We regularly clean his tomb out of pity)," said cemetery caretaker Amelia Torres. Other notable personalities who were buried at Manila Memorial Cemetery are actor Rico Yan, actress Charito Solis, singer Eddie Peregrina, talk show host Inday Badiday (real name Lourdes Jimenez Carvajal), and boxer Gabriel "Flash" Elorde. More than 100,000 visited Manila Memorial Park on All Saints' Day, the "24 Oras" report said.
Peaceful Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said that the observance of All Saints' Day has been generally peaceful nationwide. In Metro Manila, only one crime incident was reported as thousands of people flocked to various cemeteries, police said Sunday afternoon. Director Roberto Rosales, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said that as of 5 p.m., the only crime report they received was a theft case involving a 13-year-old boy at the Manila North Cemetery in Quezon. “Sa North Cemetery, may nahuling bata, edad na trese anyos, sa salang snatching. Pero naibalik rin ang cell phone sa may-ari," Rosales told dzBB radio in an interview. (A 13-year-old boy was nabbed at the North Cemetery for snatching. But the cell phone he took was already returned to its owner.) He said security would remain tight in the metropolis throughout the day and the next day. At least 13,000 policemen have been deployed to keep watch over cemeteries and other vital installations during the All Saints’ Day. “Highly-visible (ang mga pulis) para sa kapakanan ng publiko (Policemen are highly visible for the sake of public safety). “We will maintain this setup until the last visitor leaves the cemeteries," he said. PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa said the police would remain on heightened alert until Monday, All Souls' Day, as people are still expected to troop to cemeteries to visit their dead relatives. - GMANews.TV