Former President Cory Aquino's Death

Cory Aquino died of cardiopulmonary arrest after complications of colon cancer at the age of 76 on August 1, 2009, 3:18 a.m., at the Makati Medical Center. Aquino was diagnosed with the disease in March 2008 but kept up public appearances in 2009. A devout Catholic, she was a regular at weekend Catholic mass until shortly before being admitted to hospital in late June 2009.

"Our mother peacefully passed away at 3:18 a.m. (19:18 GMT Friday) of cardio-respiratory arrest," her son, Senator Benigno Aquino III, told reporters in Manila.

The Aquino children declined Malacañang Palace's offer of a state funeral after the government pulled out Aquino's security detail in July 2009 as her illness worsened. Every living Philippine president is entitled to a security detail. The government responded to the political fallout claiming that the pullout was a mere "bureaucratic lapse," where the tour of duty of the bodyguards "expired."

Aquino's body lay in state at a public wake at the St. Benilde Gymnasium of La Salle 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 permitted to lie in state in the cathedral. This honor has always been reserved to deceased archbishops of Manila. A crowd with an estimated number of 120,000 people showed up to witness the transfer 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 the anthems of the 1986 EDSA Revolution.

On August 4, the children of Ferdinand Marcos, Bongbong and Imee paid their last respects to Aquino at the Manila Cathedral. The funeral mass and interment is scheduled on August 5, which was declared as a special nonworking holiday by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Aquino will be buried in Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque. President of Timor-Leste Jose Ramos Horta is expected to arrive to pay his last respects to Aquino.

All Roman Catholic dioceses had started requiem masses for Aquino, after they held "healing masses". Meanwhile, the government declared a week of mourning for her death. 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". Aquino supported Estrada's removal from office in 2001, but the two supported each other to oppose amendments in the constitution since last year. The Senate has also expressed its grieving with Aquino's death; Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who along with Fidel Ramos launched the People Power Revolution, asked the public to pray for her. Minority leader Aquilino Pimentel, who previously 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."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corazon_Aquino

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