President Aquino praises Egypt's 'People Power'

President Benigno Aquino III praised the "relatively peaceful resolution" of Egypt's political crisis in a statement released on Saturday. The crisis had culminated in a popular uprising that led to the ouster on Friday (Philippine time) of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak after 30 years in power —echoing the Philippines' own "People Power" revolution almost exactly 25 years earlier. "Egypt's 'People Power' transition shows that the aspirations for a more free and fair society are universal," aquino said in a statement posted on the government's Official Gazette website. Aquino also extended a message of support to the Egyptian people who, he said, are undergoing a period of positive change similar to what the Philippines experienced when former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos stepped down from power in 1986. "As Filipinos did in 1986, Egyptians must now begin the work of rebuilding their institutions. We stand in solidarity with Egypt and all people who long for peaceful and meaningful change," he said. On Friday (Philippine time), furious wave of protest finally swept Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak from power after 30 years of one-man rule, sparking jubilation on the streets and sending a warning to autocrats across the Arab world and beyond. Mubarak, 82, handed power to the army after 18 days of relentless rallies against poverty, corruption and repression caused support from the armed forces to evaporate. He flew with his family from Cairo to the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, a ruling party official said. Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman said a military council would run the affairs of the most populous Arab nation. A free and fair presidential election has been promised for September, though some question the army's appetite for real democracy. — With a report from Reuters, GMA News