American peace corps volunteer Sharon Kelb stood out as one of the few white people in the queue, wearing sunglasses and a straw hat. "I do remember her. She did something very important for democracy around the world. This is a historic event," she told AFP as she stood in line with her Filipino friends. "It's nice to see how many people wanted to come and pay their last respects."
PCOL Comment: Corazon Aquino spoke at the Peace Corps National Convention in 1985.
Peace Corps Volunteer volunteer Sharon Kelb say goodbye to Cory Aquino
Filipinos queue up for hours to say goodbye to Cory
Agence France-Presse | 08/02/2009 5:31 PM
Caption: Police officers escort the casket containing the remains of the late Philippine President Corazon Aquino out of the Manila Cathedral August 5, 2009. Former Philippine President Corazon Aquino, heroine of the 1986 people power movement, was laid to rest on Wednesday after an eight-hour funeral procession that had to inch its way past hundreds of thousands of mourners. Holding umbrellas against the pouring rain and chanting "Cory, Cory", the crowds waited patiently along a 20-km (12-mile) route through the city from Manila Cathedral to the memorial park where she was buried with military honours. Photo: REUTERS/Rolex dela Pena/Pool
MANILA - It's a road made famous as the site of the EDSA "people power" revolt that chased hated dictator of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos from power.
Corazon Aquino had been there beside her people to lead that peaceful revolt and now, 23 years later, the people were again at her side in their thousands.
This time to say goodbye.
A huge line of mourners filed along the famous Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) on Sunday to pay their last respects to Aquino, who died from colon cancer early Saturday at the age of 76.
People from all walks of life braved rain and fierce tropical heat to view Aquino's glass-faced coffin, lying in state at La Salle Greenhills school a little over a kilometre (over half a mile) from EDSA.
The high school was the venue of many meetings of pro-democracy forces and was where citizens monitoring votes in the 1986 election uncovered Marcos's attempts to cheat Aquino of victory.
Many people wore yellow items of clothing or ribbons, the symbolic colour of the anti-Marcos protests.
The coffin was draped in her beloved country's flag and surrounded by flowers as a single line of mourners filed past, each given a few seconds to pay their last respects.
[Excerpt]
American peace corps volunteer Sharon Kelb stood out as one of the few white people in the queue, wearing sunglasses and a straw hat.
"I do remember her. She did something very important for democracy around the world. This is a historic event," she told AFP as she stood in line with her Filipino friends.
"It's nice to see how many people wanted to come and pay their last respects."
