by Isis International

Back in 1983, two million people attended Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino's funeral cortege. Although described as the Philippine's largest and longest funeral cortege and protest, the event hardly made it to the local media the next day. Instead, the then Daily Express featured a man who was electrocuted by lightning.

On August 5, 2009 thousands of people surrounded the nine-hour funeral procession for Philippine first woman leader Corazon Aquino, chanting “Cory! Cory! Cory!.” Unlike 26 years ago, this event hogged the major sections of all newspapers and live reports. In fact, “Cory! Cory! Cory!” even appeared as the headline in one major news paper. These may be logical events but they are now possible thanks to the newsmaker herself, the same woman to helped bringing back democracy and civil liberties to the Philippines.

Cory, as she was known, will always be one of the most important women leaders from the South. The 1986 People Power Revolution that peacefully ousted the Marcos dictatorship was not only a milestone confined within Philippine history. It was an inspiring example for the people in many countries in their struggles for democracy from Eastern Europe to Timor Leste in the coming years. It was the source of hope of Aung San Suu Kyi and her movement as she sought the leadership that was subsequently usurped by the Burmese junta.

Yet Cory was far from a perfect leader. Under her administration, protesting farmers were killed in the Mendiola massacre in 1987 and other human rights violations happened. The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Programme (CARP) was passed but failed to deeply take root. She supported the extended stay of United States military bases and decided to continue paying the odious debts of the Marcoses. As a faithful ally of the Catholic church, she failed to support women's reproductive rights. People continue to regret these and other unfortunate events and protest the present forms of their consequences.

But people also remember Cory for her leadership traits: her decisiveness even if her decisions were bound to be unpopular; her humility in admitting the shortcomings of her administration; her respect to institutions even when they decide against her favour and her very graceful demeanor even under fire — literally.

It is these traits that people and the media see in her that have turned Cory a hero in the last several days for a people who are tired of leaders who have been flirting with power and worse, clinging to it at all cost including electoral fraud and human rights violations. They motivated people to be glued to the news, tied yellow ribbons, queued for long hours under harsh weather to see her for the last time, and turn up on the streets. And it is the absence of such traits in the present that make the death of Cory a real loss to this country.

Isis International shares the profound grief of millions of Filipino people over her death and we share their trust that her spirit and the memories of the 1986 People Power Revolution will live on, reigniting the hope for social justice in these politically frustrating times in the Philippines and beyond.