In scenes reminiscent of the 1986 People Power Revolt, tens of thousands of Filipinos left their homes and offices Monday, pouring into the streets of Metro Manila to pay tribute to former President Corazon “Cory” Aquino during a funeral convoy. People on top of buildings rained confetti amid cheers and applause as the funeral cortege inched its way through the streets of the metropolis from the De La Salle Greenhills gymnasium in Mandaluyong City, where the body of the democracy icon was first kept, to the Manila Cathedral in Manila where it will lie in state before her burial on Wednesday. Mrs. Aquino's casket was earlier placed on a flatbed truck, which was adorned with yellow and white flowers. Cheers from the huge crowd rose as the funeral convoy passed and briefly stopped at the monument of Mrs. Aquino's martyred husband Ninoy in Makati City. The crowd then sang the patriotic hymn “Bayan Ko” (My Nation) while flashing the opposition's famous “L” (for “laban” or fight) sign. Interviewed on television during the procession, Mrs. Aquino's youngest daughter Kris shed tears of grief mixed with joy at the spectacle. “This is just so beautiful for us. Our hearts feel so wonderful because the people are showing they love my mother very much. The people are so appreciative of what she did for our country. It brings back so many memories of my Dad and I just want to say thank you very, very much,” she said. Meanwhile, the Arroyo administration apologized to the Aquino family on Monday for the pullout of Mrs. Aquino's security escorts as disclosed by Kris Aquino in a tearful television interview on Monday. Speaking in the United States, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said they were shocked to hear from Kris about the pullout of the security detail for Mrs. Aquino. He said the military had admitted that it made a “bureaucratic slip-up.” However, Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Victor Ibrado denied that the two security aides assigned to Mrs. Aquino before her death had been pulled out. He said the two were merely transferred from the Armed Forces to the Philippine National Police since it is now the police that provides security to former and current government officials. Meanwhile, various Muslim leaders and organizations joined their Christian brothers in mourning the death of Mrs. Aquino even as they cited her valuable contributions towards the empowerment of Filipino Muslims.
