Corazon Aquino From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Corazon C.

Aquino President Aquino, 1986 President Aquino, 1986Corazon C. Aquino greets officials as she walks across the flight line to the passenger terminal at Andrews Air Force Base. 11th President of the Philippines In office February 25, 1986 June 30, 1992 Prime Minister Salvador H. Laurel[1] Vice President Salvador H. Laurel Preceded by Ferdinand E. Marcos Succeeded by Fidel V. Ramos Born January 25, 1933(1933-01-25) Paniqui, Tarlac, Philippines Died August 1, 2009 (aged 76) Makati City, Philippines Resting place Manila Birth name Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco Nationality Filipino Political party Liberal (1986 2009) Other political affiliations Lakas ng Bayan (LABAN) (coalition) (1978 1986) United Nationalists Democratic Organizations (UNIDO) (coalition; reformulation o f LABAN) (1984 1988) Spouse(s) Benigno Aquino, Jr. (1954 1983) Alma mater College of Mount Saint Vincent Religion Roman Catholic Signature Maria Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco Aquino (January 25, 1933 August 1, 2009) was the 11th President of the Philippines and the "Icon of Philippine Democracy ", serving from 1986 to 1992. She was the first female president of the Philippi nes and the first female president of any country in Asia. A self-proclaimed "plain housewife",[2] Aquino was married to Senator Benigno Aq uino, Jr. (born 1932 died 1983), a leading figure in the political opposition ag ainst the autocratic rule of President Ferdinand Marcos. After her husband was a ssassinated upon his return from exile in the United States on August 21, 1983, Aquino, who had no prior political experience, became a focal point and unifying force of the opposition against Marcos. She was drafted to run against Marcos i n the 1986 snap presidential elections. After Marcos was proclaimed the winner d espite widespread reports of electoral fraud, Aquino was installed as President by the peaceful 1986 People Power Revolution. Aquino's presidency saw the restoration of democratic institutions in the Philip pines, through the enactment of a new Constitution which limited the powers of t he presidency, restored the bicameral Congress, and renewed emphasis on civil li berties. Her administration was likewise hampered by several military coup attem pts by disaffected members of the Philippine military which derailed a return to full political stability and economic development. After suffering from colon c ancer she died on August 1, 2009 due to cardiorespiratory arrest. Contents [hide] * 1 Early life and education * 2 Married life * 3 1986 Presidential campaign

o 3.1 Installation as President * 4 Presidency o 4.1 Constitutional and law reform o 4.2 Agrarian reform o 4.3 Natural disasters and man-made disasters o 4.4 Influence in 1992 presidential campaign * 5 Post-presidency o 5.1 Political activities o 5.2 Honors * 6 Death o 6.1 Wake o 6.2 Requiem mass and burial o 6.3 Reaction + 6.3.1 Local reaction + 6.3.2 International reaction * 7 In popular culture * 8 Awards and achievements * 9 Honorary doctorates * 10 References * 11 External links [edit] Early life and education Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco was born to Jose Cojuangco of Tarlac and Demetr ia Sumulong of Antipolo, Rizal. She was the sixth of eight children (Ceferino, P edro, Josephine Reyes, Tere Lopa, Carmen, Peping and Maria Paz Teopaco) in what was considered to be second of the richest Chinese-Mestizo families in the Phili ppines,[3][4] in Tarlac.[5] Her ancestry was one-eighth Tagalog from her materna l side, one-eighth Kapampangan and one-fourth Spanish from her paternal side, an d half-Chinese from both maternal and paternal sides.[citation needed] She was sent to St. Scholastica's College in Manila where she finished grade sch ool as class valedictorian in 1943. In 1946, she enrolled for a year in high sch ool at the Assumption Convent in Manila. Later, she was sent to the United State s to study in Cuba at the St Morrison Academy in Philadelphia, the Notre Dame Co nvent School in New York, and the College of Mount Saint Vincent, also in New Yo rk.[3] Meanwhile, she worked as a volunteer in the 1948 United States presidenti al campaign of Republican Thomas Dewey against President Harry Truman.[5] She st udied Liberal Arts and graduated in 1953 with a Bachelor of Arts in French Langu age, with a minor in mathematics. She intended to become a math teacher and a la nguage interpreter. [edit] Married life Aquino returned to the Philippines to study law and became a member of Portia So rority, at the Far Eastern University owned by the family of the late Nicanor Re yes, Sr., who had been the father-in-law of her older sister Josephine. She gave up her law studies[6] when in 1954, she married Benigno Servillano "Ninoy" Aqui no, Jr., the son of a former Speaker of the National Assembly. They had five chi ldren together: a son, Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III, who was elected to th e Philippine Senate in 2007, and four daughters, Maria Elena "Ballsy" A. Cruz, A urora Corazon "Pinky" A. Abellada, Victoria Eliza "Viel" A. Dee, and actress-tel evision host Kristina Bernadette C. Aquino-Yap. Aquino had initial difficulty ad justing to provincial life when she and her husband moved to Concepcion, Tarlac, in 1955, after he was elected the town's mayor at the age of 22. The American-e ducated Aquino found herself bored in Concepcion, and welcomed the opportunity t o have dinner with her husband inside the American military facility at nearby C lark Field.[7] A member of the Liberal Party, Aquino's husband rose to be governor of Tarlac an d was elected to the Philippine Senate in 1967. During her husband's political c

areer, Aquino remained a housewife who helped raise the children and played host ess to her spouse's political allies who would frequent their Quezon City home.[ 4] She would decline to join her husband on stage during campaign rallies, prefe rring instead to stand at the back of the audience and listen to him.[7] Nonethe less, she was consulted upon on political matters by her husband, who valued her judgments enormously.[4] Benigno Aquino soon emerged as a leading critic of the government of President F erdinand Marcos of the Nacionalista Party, and there was wide speculation that h e would run in the 1973 presidential elections, Marcos then being term limited. However, Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972, and later abolished the 1935 Constitution, allowing him to remain in office. Aquino's husband was am ong those arrested at the onset of martial law, later being sentenced to death. During his incarceration, Aquino drew strength from prayer, attending daily mass and saying three rosaries a day.[7] As a measure of sacrifice, she enjoined her children from attending parties and she also stopped going to the beauty salon or buying new clothes until a priest advised her and her children to instead liv e as normal lives as possible.[7] In 1978, despite her initial opposition, Aquino's imprisoned husband decided to run the 1978 Batasang Pambansa elections. Aquino campaigned in behalf of her hus band and for the first time in her life, delivered a political speech,[2][7] tho ugh she willingly relinquished having to speak in public when it emerged that he r six-year old daughter Kris was more than willing to speak on stage.[7] In 1980, upon the intervention of US President Jimmy Carter,[2] Marcos allowed S enator Aquino and his family to leave for exile in the United States, where he s ought medical treatment.[3] The family settled in Boston, and Aquino would later call the next three years as the happiest days of her marriage.[2] He returned without his family to the Philippines on August 21, 1983, only to be assassinate d on a staircase leading to the tarmac of the Manila International Airport, whic h was later renamed in his honor. Corazon Aquino returned to the Philippines a f ew days later and led her husband's funeral rites, where more than two million p eople were estimated to have participated, the biggest funeral ever in Philippin e history.[2] [edit] 1986 Presidential campaign Main article: Philippine presidential election, 1986 EDSA Revolution in the Philippines in February 1986 showing hundreds of thousand s of people filling up Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA). The view is looking northbound towards the Boni Serrano Avenue EDSA intersection. Magkaisa Play sound Magkaisa (To Unite) is one of the famous songs during the People Power Revolutio n, performed by Virna Lisa. During the death of Aquino, it was used during the f unal procession. Problems listening to this file? See media help. Aquino participated in many of the mass actions that were staged in the two year s following the assassination of her husband. In the last week of November 1985, Marcos unexpectedly announced a snap presidential election to be held in Februa ry 1986.[8] Initially, Senator Salvador Laurel of Batangas, the son of a former president, was seen as the favorite presidential candidate of the opposition, un der the United Nationalists Democratic Organizations. However, business tycoon D on Joaquin "Chino" Roces was not convinced that Laurel could defeat Marcos in th e polls. Roces initiated the Cory Aquino for President Movement to gather one mi llion signatures in one week for Aquino to run as president. Aquino was reluctant at first to run for presidency, despite pleas that she was the one candidate who could unite the opposition against Marcos.[4] She eventual

ly was convinced following a ten-hour meditation session at a Catholic convent.[ 5] Laurel did not immediately accede to calls for him to give way to Aquino, and offered her the vice-presidential slot under his UNIDO party. Aquino instead of fered to give up her affiliation with her husband's political party, the Lakas n g Bayan (LABAN), which had just merged with Partido Demokratiko Pilipino, and ru n under the UNIDO banner with Laurel sliding down to the vice-presidential slot. [4] Laurel gave way to Aquino to run as President and ran as her running-mate un der UNIDO as the main political umbrella of the opposition. In the succeeding political campaign, Marcos charged that Aquino was being suppo rted by communists and agreed to share power with them, to which she responded t hat she would not appoint one to her cabinet.[9] Marcos also accused Aquino of p laying "political football" with the United States with respect to the continued United States military presence in the Philippines at Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base.[10] Marcos also derided Aquino as "just a woman" whose place was in the bedroom.[2] The elections held on February 7, 1986 were marred by the intimidation and mass disenfranchisement of voters.[4] Election day itself and the days immediately af ter were marred by violence, including the murder of one of Aquino's top allies, Antique governor Evelio Javier. While the official tally of the Commission on E lections (COMELEC) consistently showed Marcos in the lead, the unofficial tally of the National Movement for Free Elections indicated that Aquino was leading. D espite the job walkout of 30 COMELEC computer technicians alleging election-rigg ing in favor of Marcos,[4] the Batasang Pambansa, controlled by Marcos allies, r atified the official count and proclaimed Marcos the winner on February 15, 1986 .[11] The country's Catholic bishops and the United States Senate condemned the election,[4] and Aquino called for a general strike and a boycott of business en terprises controlled by Marcos allies.[12] She also rejected a power-sharing agr eement proposed by the American diplomat Philip Habib, who had been sent as an e missary by U.S. President Ronald Reagan to help defuse the tension.[12] [edit] Installation as President Main article: People Power Revolution [edit] Presidency President Aquino was named by Time magazine as the 1986 Woman of the Year. The relatively peaceful manner by which Aquino assumed the presidency through th e EDSA Revolution won her widespread international acclaim as an icon of democra cy. She was selected as Time magazine's Woman of the Year in 1986. She was also nominated to receive the Nobel Peace Prize but lost to Elie Wiesel. On September 18, 1986, Aquino delivered a speech before a joint session of the United States Congress which was interrupted by applause several times. The six-year administration of President Aquino saw the enactment of a new Phili ppine Constitution and several significant legal reforms, including a new agrari an reform law. While her allies maintained a majority in both houses of Congress , she faced considerable opposition from communist insurgency and right-wing sol diers who instituted several coup attempts against her government. Her governmen t also dealt with several major natural disasters that struck the Philippines, a s well as a severe power crisis that hampered the Philippine economy. It was als o during her administration that the presence of United States military bases in the Philippines came to an end. [edit] Constitutional and law reform One month after assuming the presidency, Aquino issued Proclamation No. 3, which proclaimed her government as a revolutionary government. She suspended the 1973 Constitution installed during martial law, and promulgated a provisional Freedom Constitution pending the enactment of a new Constitution.[13] She likewise close d the Batasang Pambansa and reorganized the membership of the Supreme Court. In May 1986, the reorganized Supreme Court declared the Aquino government as not mer

ely a de facto government but in fact and law a de jure government , whose legitim acy had been affirmed by the community of nations.[14] Aquino appointed 48 members of a Constitutional Commission tasked with drafting a new Constitution. The commission, which was chaired by retired Supreme Court A ssociate Justice Cecilia Muoz-Palma completed its final draft in October 1986[15] The 1987 Constitution was approved in a national plebiscite in February 1987. B oth the Freedom Constitution and the 1987 Constitution authorized President Aquino to exercise legislative power until such time a new Congress was organized.[16] She continued to exercise such powers until the new Congress organized under th e 1987 Constitution convened in July 1987. Within that period, Aquino promulgate d two legal codes that set forth significant legal reforms the Family Code of 1987 , which reformed the civil law on family relations, and the Administrative Code of 1987, which reorganized the structure of the executive branch of government. However, as President instead of repudiating debts incurred by the former regime or repudiating the debts through selective debt repudiation Mrs. Aquino chose t o honor the debts to the detriment of the country.[17] In 1991, Aquino signed in to law the Local Government Code partly written by Aquilino Pimentel, which furt her devolved national government powers to local government units. The new Code enhanced the power of local government units to enact local taxation measures, a nd assured them of a share of the national internal revenue. [edit] Agrarian reform President Corazon Aquino addresses base workers at a rally at Remy Field concern ing jobs for Filipino workers after the Americans withdraw from the U.S. facilit ies. On July 22, 1987, Aquino issued Presidential Proclamation 131 and Executive Orde r 229, which outlined the President s land reform program, and expanded land refor m to sugar lands. Her agrarian reform policy was enacted into law by the 8th Con gress of the Philippines, which in 1988 passed Republic Act No. 6657, also known as The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law . The law authorized the redistribution o f agricultural lands to tenant-farmers from landowners, who were paid in exchang e by the government just compensation and allowed to retain not more than five h ectares of land.[18] Corporate landowners were also allowed under the law to volu ntarily divest a proportion of their capital stock, equity or participation in f avor of their workers or other qualified beneficiaries , in lieu of turning over t heir land to the government for redistribution.[19] The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the law in 1989, characterizing the agrarian reform policy as a revolutionary kind of expropriation. [20] Prior to signing CARP a large farmer's group under Jimmy Tadeo tried desperately to air their grievances to the government. Among their grievances was the desir e of peasants and farmers to acquire the land being tilled by them. However, ins tead of holding a dialogue with Heherson Alvarez, the group marched to Mendiola; as the group of farmers tried to breach the line of the police, several Marines fired, killing around 12 of the marchers and injuring 39. This caused Ka Pepe D iokno and several members of the Aquino government to resign.[21] Controversies eventually centered on the landholdings of Aquino, who inherited f rom her parents the 6,453-hectare large Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac, which was ow ned through the Tarlac Development Company.[22] Opting for the stock distributio n option under the agrarian reform law, Tarlac Development Company established H acienda Luisita, Incorporated (HLI) in order to effect the distribution of stock s to the farmer-tenants of the hacienda. Ownership of the agricultural portions of the hacienda were transferred to the new corporation, which in turn distribut ed its shares of stocks to the farmers.[22] The arrangement withstood until 2006 , when the Department of Agrarian Reform revoked the stock distribution scheme i mplemented in Hacienda Luisita, and ordered instead the redistribution of a larg e portion of the property to the tenant-farmers.[23] The Department had stepped

into the controversy when in 2004, violence erupted over the retrenchment of wor kers in the Hacienda, eventually leaving seven people dead.[22] [edit] Natural disasters and man-made disasters The Aquino administration faced a series of natural disasters during its last tw o years in office. The 1990 Luzon earthquake left around 1,600 dead, with around a thousand of the fatalities in Baguio City. The 1991 eruption of the long-dorm ant Mount Pinatubo was the second largest terrestrial eruption of the 20th centu ry,[24] killing around 300 people and causing widespread long-term devastation o f agricultural lands in Central Luzon. The worst loss of life occurred when Trop ical Storm Thelma (also known as Typhoon Uring) caused massive flooding in Ormoc City in November 1991, leaving around 6,000 dead in what was the deadliest typh oon in Philippine history. It was during the term of Corazon Aquino that blackouts became sporadic and many of households during that time bought generators. Complaints were made against Napocor which was headed by Aboitiz who also owns shares in a firm making genera tors. It was also during Aquino's term that the MV Doa Paz sank, which is the Wor ld's worst peace-time maritime disaster of the 20th century. The disaster occurr ed in December 1987 which killed more than 1,700 people. [edit] Influence in 1992 presidential campaign The Philippine Constitution bars a President from serving more than one six-year term, however, President Aquino was not covered of this provision. She rejected re-election and instead, she backed her Defense Secretary Fidel V. Ramos (after initially naming Ramon Mitra, Jr., her former Agriculture Secretary and then Sp eaker of the House of Representatives, as her candidate), Marcos' armed forces v ice-chief of staff whose defection to the Aquino party proved crucial to the pop ular revolution. This decision was unpopular among many of her core supporters, including the Roman Catholic Church (Ramos is a Protestant). Ramos narrowly won with just 23.58 percent of the vote, and succeeded Aquino as president on June 3 0, 1992. [edit] Post-presidency Mrs. Aquino speaking before the 2003 Ninoy Aquino Award ceremony at the U.S. Emb assy in Manila. Following the end of her term, Aquino retired to private life. When she rode awa y from the inauguration of her successor, she chose to go in a simple white Toyo ta Crown she had purchased (rather than the government-issue Mercedes), to make the point that she was once again an ordinary citizen.[25] Aquino led the PinoyME Foundation, a non-profit organization that assists microf inance institutions through the provision of loans.[26] She also oversaw social welfare and scholarship assistance projects through the Benigno S. Aquino Founda tion, and good governance advocacy through the EDSA People Power Commission, and the People Power Movement. President Aquino was likewise a member of the Council of Women World Leaders, an International network of current and former women presidents and prime minister s whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for coll ective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable developmen t. Aquino was a skilled painter, and was fond of giving her own paintings as gifts to her close friends and acquaintances, including world leaders, diplomats, and corporate executives.[27] [edit] Political activities Aquino continued to speak out on political issues. In the 1998 presidential elec tions, she supported the candidacy of Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, who placed fifth

.[28] In January 2001, Aquino played an active role in the second EDSA Revolutio n which ousted President Joseph Estrada and installed Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the presidency.[29] In 2005, Aquino condemned President Macapagal-Arroyo for al legedly rigging the 2004 presidential elections.[30] She was a visible participa nt in mass demonstrations against the Arroyo government and called for the Presi dent's resignation.[31] In December 2008, Aquino publicly expressed some regrets for her participation i n the 2001 EDSA Revolution and apologized to former President Joseph Estrada, wh o had been ousted following that revolt, in his presence.[32] In the 2007 senatorial elections, Aquino actively campaigned for her only son, B enigno III, in his successful bid for a Senate seat. [edit] Honors After leaving the presidency, Aquino received several awards and citations. In 1 994, Aquino was cited as one of 100 Women Who Shaped World History in a referenc e book written by Gail Meyer Rolka and published by Bluewood Books in San Franci sco, California.[33] In 1996, she received the J. William Fulbright Prize for In ternational Understanding from the Fulbright Association, joining past recipient s such as Jimmy Carter and Nelson Mandela.[34] In August 1999, Aquino was chosen by Time Magazine as one of the 20 Most Influential Asians of the 20th century.[ 35] The same magazine cited her in November 2006 as one of 65 great Asian Heroes , along with Mahatma Gandhi, Deng Xiaoping, Aung San Suu Kyi, Lee Kuan Yew, and King Bhumibol Adulyadej.[36] In January 2008, the Europe-based A Different View selected Aquino as one of the 15 Champions of World Democracy, alongside Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., Lech Walesa, and Vclav Havel.[citation needed] In 2002, Aquino became the first woman named to the Board of Governors of the Bo ard of the Asian Institute of Management, a leading graduate business school and think tank in the Asia Pacific region.[37] She served on the Board until 2006.[ 38] [edit] Death Merge-arrow.svg It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Death and funeral of Corazon Aquino. (Discuss) Main article: Death and funeral of Corazon Aquino Search Wikinews Wikinews has related news: Former Philippine President C orazon Aquino dies at age 76 On March 24, 2008, the Aquino family announced that the former President had bee n diagnosed with colon cancer.[39] While she had initially been informed by her doctors that she had only three months to live,[40] Aquino pursued chemotherapy. The treatment caused both heavy hair loss, loss of appetite and immunological p roblems. In public remarks made on May 13, 2008, she announced that blood tests indicated that she was responding positively to the medical treatment.[41] By July 2009, Aquino was reported to be in a very serious condition and confined to Makati Medical Center due to loss of appetite and chronic baldness.[42] It w as announced that Aquino and her family had decided to cease chemotherapy and ot her medical interventions.[43][44] Aquino died of cardiorespiratory arrest after complications of colon cancer[45] at the age of 76 on August 1, 2009, 3:18 a.m., at the Makati Medical Center.[46] The Aquino family declined an invitation by the government for a state funeral.[ 47] [edit] Wake Aquino's body lay in state at a public wake at the St. Benilde Gymnasium of La S

alle Green Hills in Mandaluyong up to August 3, when it was later transferred to the Manila Cathedral. She was the first member of the laity to have been permit ted to lie in state in the cathedral. This honor has always been reserved for de ceased archbishops of Manila.[48]. A crowd estimated at 120,000 witnessed the tr ansfer of her remains from La Salle Green Hills to the Manila Cathedral. Most of the crowd was concentrated at the Ninoy Aquino memorial statue in Ayala Avenue, Makati, where the hearse paused briefly as the crowds sang "Bayan Ko," one of t he anthems of the 1986 EDSA Revolution.[49] Queue of mourners at the Aquino wake going to the Manila Cathedral in front of t he Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila campus, which opened its facilities such as the university clinic and restrooms for the mourners.[50] For comparison, the Ca thedral is the green dome in the background. On August 4, two of Ferdinand Marcos' three children, Bongbong and Imee, paid th eir last respects to Aquino at the Manila Cathedral.[51] The funeral mass and in terment was scheduled on August 5, which was declared as a special nonworking ho liday by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Aquino is buried in Manila Memorial Park in Paraaque.[52] The President of Timor-Leste Jose Ramos Horta showed up at the funeral and paid his last respects to Aquino. He was the only foreign head o f state to attend.[53] A Philippine flag at half-mast beside the Martial Law Memorial Wall at the Bonif acio Shrine. All Philippine flags were at half-mast during the 10-day mourning p eriod. All Roman Catholic dioceses held requiem masses for Aquino, after they held "hea ling masses".[54] Meanwhile, the government declared a week of mourning for her death.[55] As much as 7,000 mourners on August 4 waited in queue at the Manila Cathedral.[5 6] [edit] Requiem mass and burial File:Coryaquinoburialconvoy.jpg Corazon Aquino's burial convoy going to Manila Memorial Park President Arroyo, who cut short her trip from the United States, paid her last r espects to Aquino in the early hours of Wednesday, August 5. Arroyo spoke to Noy noy Aquino and stayed for about seven minutes.[57] Singer Jose Mari Chan sang the poem Ninoy made for Cory, "I Have Fallen In Love, " as Aquino's casket was carried outside the cathedral. Other songs performed in tribute were "Sa Iyo Lamang" (For You, Especially) by Piolo Pascual; The Lord's Prayer by Erik Santos; "The Impossible Dream" by Jed Madela; and "Pangako (Prom ise)" by Ogie Alcasid. Martin Nievera and Regine Velasquez performed a duet of " The Prayer", while Sarah Geronimo sang the People Power Revolution anthem "Magka isa" ("Unite"); "Your Heart Today" by Dulce; and Lea Salonga sang "Bayan Ko" (My Country). The artists later joined the Apo Hiking Society in singing the People Power song "Handog ng Pilipino Sa Mundo" ("The Filipinos' Offering to the World ").[58] The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra played the background music. The funeral procession lasted for almost eight hours, with hundreds of thousands of mourners flashing the "Laban" ("fight"; holding the thumb and forefinger at right angles, like an "L") sign lining the route from the cathedral to the Manil a Memorial Park in Sucat, Paraaque. When the cortege reached the cemetery, Aquino was given full military honors, where a two-star general acting as military hos t and eight one-star generals as pallbearers carried the former president's flag -draped coffin. The crowd that lined the funeral route (passing through the citi es of Manila, Makati, and Paraaque) was estimated to be between 500,000 to 750,00 0 people.[citation needed] The attendees at the burial were originally restricted to Aquino's family and cl

ose friends, but the crowd broke through the security barricades after the last of the funeral convoy's 13 buses entered the cemetery at around 7:45pm. Although the crowd was inside the premises, they kept a respectful distance from the bur ial site.[59] Bishop Villegas gave the final blessing and the coffin was opened one last time per the Aquino family's request. The glass was removed, and after Bishop Villega s and Aquino's children sprinkled it with holy water, most members of Aquino's f amily gave a final kiss to the deceased leader. The casket having been sealed, t he Philippine flag was removed from the coffin, folded, then presented to Sen. N oynoy Aquino. The pallbearers ushered the coffin into the niche prepared beforeh and, and her family, supporters, and allies deposited yellow flowers inside afte r which it was sealed to as Bayan Ko and several religious anthems were sung by the congregation. Aquino's lapida (name plate) was a simple design identical to that of her husband, whose niche is beside hers. [edit] Reaction [edit] Local reaction President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was on a state visit in Washington, D.C. when she was informed about the President Aquino's death, called Aquino a "natio nal treasure". She ended her trip ahead of schedule and returned to Manila to vi sit Aquino's wake. Arroyo announced a 10-day mourning period for the former Pres ident, and issued Administrative Order No. 269 to "official acts and observances to help in the funeral of the former President.[46] Former President Estrada said that they lost a "mother" and a "guiding voice of the people." Estrada also described Aquino as "Philippines' most loved woman".[6 0] Aquino supported Estrada's removal from office in 2001, but the two supported each other to oppose amendments in the constitution since last year.[61] The Se nate has also expressed its grieving with Aquino's death; Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who along with Fidel Ramos launched the People Power Revolution, a sked the public to pray for her. Minority leader Aquilino Pimentel, who previous ly served as interior and local government secretary during her administration, had "mixed feelings" with Aquino's passing, saying "We shall be forever indebted to Cory for rallying the nation behind the campaign to topple dictatorial rule and restore democracy."[62] A growing opinion among some Roman Catholic circles in the country is to push fo r Aquino's declaration as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. The Bangko Sentr al ng Pilipinas (BSP) announced that it supported calls to put the former Presid ent on the 500-Peso banknote alongside her husband, Ninoy Aquino. BSP Governor A mando Tetangco, Jr. said that, "I have asked the numismatic committee to conside r the proposal to put up the portrait of former President Aquino in the 500 peso bill in designing our new-generation currency notes", the BSP announced they ar e redesigning the banknotes and coins as well to improve the security features a s well and release them in 2011.[63] [edit] International reaction President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev in a telegram to President of the Philippine s Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo stated, The name of Corazon Aquino is associated with a period of profound reforms and the democratic transformation of Filipino societ y. Medvedev also noted that Corazon Aquino showed great interest and sympathy to Russia and prioritised the development of Russian-Filipino relations.[64] Intern ational figures expressed their grief, with United States Secretary of State Hil lary Clinton noting that Aquino was "admired by the world for her extraordinary courage". White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that "Her courage, deter mination, and moral leadership are an inspiration to us all and exemplify the be st in the Filipino nation." Other ambassadors also sent their messages of condol ence following her passing.[65] Pope Benedict XVI recalled Aquino as a "courageo us commitment to the freedom of the Filipino people, her firm rejection of viole

nce and intolerance," according to Manila Archbishop Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales. President of South Africa Jacob Zuma called Aquino "a great leader who set a sh ining example of peaceful transition to democracy in her country."[66] The reign ing Queen of the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, joined people in the Phili ppines here and all over the world in mourning the death of one True Queen of the Philippines, former President Corazon Aquino.Her message of condolence was conve yed to President Gloria Arroyo by British Ambassador to Manila, Peter Beckingham , in a letter dated on August 04. It was coursed through Foreign Affairs Secreta ry Alberto Romulo. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II brief messages are as follows: I am saddened to hear of the death of Corazon Cory Aquino the former President of t he Republic of the Philippines. She also added, I send my sincere condolences to he r family and to the people of the Philippines. The brief message was signed Elizab eth R. [edit] In popular culture Aquino was portrayed by Laurice Guillen in the 1988 HBO miniseries A Dangerous L ife. Aquino was a main character in Boy Noriega's 1987 stage comedy Bongbong at Kris (Bongbong and Kris), about an imagined romantic coupling between the youngest so n of Ferdinand Marcos and the youngest daughter of the Aquinos. In the movie Alfredo Lim: Batas ng Maynila (Alfredo Lim: Law of Manila) Aquino w as portrayed by Luz Valdez. She was portrayed by Tess Villarama in the movie Ilaban Mo, Bayan Ko: The Obet P agdanganan Story (My Fight, My Country) in 1997. She was also portrayed by Geraldine Malacaman in the 1998 musical play Lean. In the defunct comedy gag show Ispup, Madz Nicolas played a parodized version of Aquino who often reminisces about life with Ninoy. In 2004, Aquino was portrayed by Irma Adlawan in the miniseries Sa 'Yo Lamang (O nly Yours). In 2008, a musical play about Aquino starring Isay Alvarez as Aquino, was staged at the Meralco Theater. Entitled Cory, the Musical, it was written and directed by Nestor Torre and featured a libretto of 19 original songs composed by Lourde s Pimentel, wife of Senator Aquilino Pimentel.[67][68][69] [edit] Awards and achievements * 1986 Time Magazine Woman of the Year * 1986 Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award * 1986 United Nations Silver Medal * 1986 Canadian International Prize for Freedom * 1986 Nobel Peace Prize nominee * 1986 International Democracy Award from the International Association of P olitical Consultants * 1987 Prize For Freedom Award from Liberal International * 1993 Special Peace Award from the Aurora Aragon Quezon Peace Awards Founda tion and Concerned Women of the Philippines * 1994 One of 100 Women Who Shaped World History (by G.M. Rolka, Bluewood Bo oks, San Francisco, CA) * 1995 Path to Peace Award * 1996 J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding from the U .S. Department of State * 1998 Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding * 1998 Pearl S. Buck Award * 1999 One of Time Magazine's 20 Most Influential Asians of the 20th Century

* 2001 World Citizenship Award * 2005 David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Awards * 2005 One of the World's Elite Women Who Make a Difference by the Internati onal Women's Forum Hall of Fame * 2006 One of Time Magazine's 65 Asian Heroes * 2008 One of A Different View's 15 Champions of World Democracy * EWC Asia Pacific Community Building Award * Women's International Center International Leadership Living Legacy Award * Martin Luther King Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize * United Nations Development Fund for Women Noel Award for Political Leaders hip