People's Farewell

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 8) And the people said goodbye to former President Corazon Aquino one last time.
An estimated 150,000 mourners, mostly in yellow and flashing the “laban [fight]” hand sign escorted the former leaders’ funeral cortege from the Manila Cathedral to the Manila Memorial Park, braving occasional heavy rains.
Mrs. Aquino’s wooden casket, draped with the Philippine flag and surrounded by a blanket of yellow flowers, was placed on top of a truck.
She will be buried in a simple grave beside her husband, martyred Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., whose assassination in 1983 sparked a 1986 uprising that thrust her into power, toppled the Marcos dictatorship, and restored democracy.
Some 100,000 lined up along Roxas Boulevard from Intramuros to Quirino Avenue, said Superintendent Rommel Miranda, metropolitan police spokesman.
Another 30,000 gathered from Osmeña Highway to Buendia Avenue, 10,000 along the Sucat interchange, and 10,000 at the vicinity of the Manila Memorial Park.
A human chain was formed to contain the crowd and allow the convoy to pass through the stretch of Roxas Boulevard.Among the mourners who lined up the streets were students and nuns of St Paul College, members of the Chinese-Filipino community, vendors, and ordinary citizens some of them as young as four years old.
The mourners were flashing a "Laban" (fight) sign and chanting "Cory! Cory!"
Some were carrying yellow flowers and laminated photos of the former leader.
Aquino's only son, Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino III and his relatives were onboard a vehicle next to the truck that was carrying their mother’s remains.
The senator and his nephew, Jiggy Aquino-Cruz, flashed the “laban” sign and said "thank you" to the crowd from the vehicle.
“Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat. Siguradong nakatingin ang nanay at tatay ko mula sa itaas. Sinisigaw nyo na ituloy ang laban. Sa tulong niyo magagawa natin yon. [Thank you to all of you. I’m sure my mother and father are watching from up above. You want to continue the fight. With your help, wecan do that],” the senator said.
“Nasa panahon pa kami ng pagdadalamhati pero sa mga susunod na araw itutuloy natin ang laban. [We are still in mourning, but in the coming days, we will continue the fight],” he said.
Members of the August 21 Movement (Atom) sang the 1986 People Power anthem “Bayan Ko” and “Pilipinas Kong Mahal” during the procession as onlookers sang along.
Mourners stood still in the street even as heavy rains started to pour along Osmeña Highway.
A pregnant woman sharing an umbrella with her companion and a four-month-old baby carried by his father were seen on the street, waiting to see the truck carrying Aquino's body.
Eden Raz, 51, said she joined the funeral march in the hope that Mrs. Aquino’s death would make a difference to the country.
She said had been at the Manila Cathedral church since Monday to visit the former president's wake but did not endure the long hours waiting for her turn to see Mrs. Aquino.
“Naibsan naman yung paghihirap namin nung makita namin si Kris at nag thank you siya sa amin. [Our suffering was lessened when we saw Kris, who said thank you to us],” she said, referring to the former leader’s youngest daughter.
Raz was among the hundreds of people who walked on foot to join the funeral procession from downtown Manila to Parañaque City.
As the would-be hearse brought her out of the Manila Cathedral past 11 a.m., thousands of supporters waved, cheered, and flashed the "L" sign.
They cheered "Cory! Cory!" as the hearse passed, people straining their necks just to catch a last glimpse of Aquino.
Overhead, helicopters threw petals of red and white roses. The sky was overcast but the rain had stopped.
The streets of Old Manila were painted yellow as people said farewell to Aquino.
Outside, tens of thousands of supporters are already waiting for Aquino's hearse to pass.
Upon reaching the corner of Kalaw and Roxas Boulevard, militant groups led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan greeted the hearse to pay their last respects.
People clad in yellow cheered and waved goodbye as yellow balloons were released in the air.
Bayan Secretary General Renato Reyes Jr. said, "It is our hope that the tremendous display of national solidarity of the past few days will carry on even after today. May Mrs. Aquino's life continue to inspire our people to fight tyranny and abuse whenever and wherever these are present."
A helicopter hovered above and showered confetti over the crowd that gathered to pay their last respects.
As of 10 a.m., police estimated some 10,000 people surrounding the Manila Cathedral, another 10,000 from 25th Street to United Nations Avenue, and some 1,000 people along Roxas Boulevard.
Police estimated that there were some 50,000 people and this number was expected to increase as Aquino's hearse moved en route to the Manila Memorial Park, said Superintendent Rommel Miranda, spokesman of National Capital Region police office.With reports from Tina Santos, Philippine Daily Inquirer

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