MANILA, Philippines?You are a gift to our generation. This generation owes you a lot.
?Writings on one of the message boards outside the Manila Cathedral
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I was saddened to learn about the passing of your mother.
After the fall of the Marcos government, President Aquino restored democracy to the Philippines and became a beacon of hope for the people. She did her best for the Philippines to carry out what she believed your late father would have done had he been alive.
With her passing, the Philippines has lost a beloved mother.
?Former Singapore Prime Minister and now Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, in a letter to Sen. Benigno ?Noynoy? Aquino III
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Ms Aquino was a remarkable woman who, during and after her term as President from 1986-1992, worked tirelessly for the betterment of the Philippines. She is a symbol of democracy in the Philippines and will long be remembered and respected both in the Philippines and internationally for her devotion to her people.
?Singapore?s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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Ms Aquino was a symbol of democracy, and contributed to the promotion of the friendship between Japan and the Philippines for years. On behalf of the government and people of Japan, I wish to reiterate our greatest respect for her contribution and extend my sincere condolences to the government and people of the Philippines.
?Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso
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She will always be an inspiration for all of us, for being a leader who served in government with integrity and excellence, for upholding the truth, for keeping a strong faith in God, and for making sacrifices for the common good.
?Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan
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I worked for former President Cory Aquino from 1988 to 1992 in the Bureau of Immigration in various capacities.... In 1992, she told me to run for Congress in the 3rd District of Pampanga. A reluctant candidate, I was called to see her and right there and then, she told me: ?Go home, get dressed and have (your) hair and makeup (done). You will be the first candidate I will endorse.?
During the photo session (for the endorsement), I mentioned to her that many are asking me if she will run for president in the coming elections, and I told her that my answer was that she will not run because she wants to go back to her private life. She then told me that the real answer to that question was, ?she is not going to run for the Presidency (again) because she wants to set an example in obeying the new Constitution and that this was her promise to the Filipino people.?
These are some of the memorable encounters I had with this fantastic, great Filipino. So many good things to remember her by, so many beautiful things to thank her for.
?Former Immigration Commissioner Andrea D. Domingo
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The more than two million members of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) bid goodbye today to one of their members?former Chief Scout Corazon C. Aquino.
Ms Aquino was the first woman chief scout of the BSP by virtue of her election as President. The BSP Constitution and by-law state that the elected president shall sit as head of the youth movement.
She epitomized a true Scout leader, who believed in the Scout oath and law. These Scouting ideals had guided her administration.
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Always I am filled with a sense of wonder and pride and gratitude that I had the good fortune to have been part of President Cory?s team. (She) had chosen to hold office at the Guest House, rather than at the main Palace. Its name remained because, as she said, it would be a reminder to all of us of the transitoriness of power.
Sure enough, as we moved around in that informal and temporary setting, we could hardly say we walked in the corridors of power. It was more like walking in the ?Cory-doors? of courage.
Shorn of trappings, we could only arm ourselves with enthusiasm and resolve to do what we thought was good; to do what was best for our country. That resolve we caught from her. It was very empowering, working with her as our leader: clear-headed in her goals, selfless and unwavering in her commitment.
?Former Public Works Secretary Jose ?Ping? de Jesus
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The Moro Islamic Liberation Front joins the Aquino family and the Filipino nation in mourning the passing away of a woman who started as a housewife and ended up as a symbol of resistance. There is no question about Cory being the symbol of resistance against a dictator who succeeded to enslave a whole nation and sent to the graves thousands of Moros during the heyday of the Ilagas and the peak of martial law.
?MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim
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The outpouring of grief of millions of Filipinos on the death of President Aquino is a testament that a nation holds dear the symbol of the people?s fight against corruption, tyranny and dictatorship; that a nation holds dear freedom and democracy.
There is no denying the place of President Aquino in the history of the country as well as her contribution to the Filipino women?s movement. Despite the flaws and weaknesses during her presidency, the historical fact remains that President Aquino united the Filipino people at the crucial time of ousting the Marcos dictatorship.
Her courage to confront head-on a tyrant, despite the seemingly insurmountable odds stacked against her, drew inspiration for countless of Filipinas and women all over the world.
?Gabriela National Alliance of Women in the Philippines
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Alyansa Agrikultura, a broad coalition of 44 federations and organizations representing all agricultural sectors, expresses its admiration and gratitude to President Corazon Aquino. She courageously championed the cause of small farmers and fisherfolk.
Nowhere is this more evident than when she transcended her class background and declared the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) as the centerpiece of her administration. Though there were lapses in her and other administrations, it cannot be denied that wherever agrarian reform was implemented properly with the necessary support services the way President Cory wanted it, millions of lives were transformed.
Compiled by Jerome Aning and Tina Santos
