MANILA - Former President Corazon Aquino moved closer to her final resting place on Monday as her body was brought to Manila Cathedral in Intramuros after staying for several days in La Salle Green Hills.

Exclusive ABS-CBN footage showed hundreds of policemen saluting Aquino's procession as it arrived at the Manila Cathedral before 4 p.m. An honor guard of top police officials lifted Aquino's coffin off the flatbed trailer and brought it inside the church where it will stay for the next two days until Aquino's burial on Wednesday, August 5.

Thousands of Filipinos lined the streets of Metro Manila while thousands more tuned in to their television screens and websites before noon Monday to watch former Aquino's body being brought to Manila Cathedral.

In scenes reminiscent of her husband's funeral procession in 1983, people chanted Cory's name and flashed the "L" for Laban sign, which was popularized during Aquino's presidential campaign in 1986.

Others clapped and cheered as Aquino's convoy pulled in close near the Benigno Aquino monument on Ayala Avenue corner Paseo de Roxas.

In Makati, employees threw confetti out of their office windows while the electronic ticker outside the Insular Life Building on Paseo de Roxas-Ayala Avenue flashed pictures of Aquino and the words "Paalam, Tita Cory."

Some of the mourners outside the La Salle Green Hills gymnasium and on Ayala Avenue wept openly as they recounted how the country's first woman president restored democracy after years of martial rule.

It was, as Aquino's youngest daughter Kris predicted, the nation giving honor to her mother.

An estimated 25,000 lined the whole length of Ayala Avenue in Makati City where Aquino spent her last month in hospital.

'Thank you for democracy'

Former Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, who was on board one of the vehicles in the funeral convoy, said people from all walks of life lined the streets from Greenhills to EDSA and Ayala Avenue to pay tribute to the former president.

"The streets are lined with people, Everywhere we go, we see people, some flashing the Laban sign with tears in their eyes. The most important message is that people are with her, that hindi siya nag-iisa. Some made handpainted signs, one of which read: "Thank you for democracy." It's so overwhelming," she said in an ANC interview.

Franklin Drilon, Aquino's former labor chief, said he had never seen a crowd like the one he saw in Makati on Monday in recent years. "The people are so enthusiastic. It's all yellow colors all over the place...It's really something to see. Nakakakilabot, ika nga," he said.

He said one image that would stay with him was how people inside the Makati Stock Exchange started raining yellow confetti all over the convoy.

The funeral convoy stopped for five minutes beside the Benigno Aquino monument on Ayala Avenue where Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, a close friend of the former president, delivered a short eulogy. He also led the crowd in singing "Bayan Ko" with many people raising their fingers for the famous "L" sign.

Tears of joy

Aquino's youngest daughter, Kris, said she could not stop her tears as her mother's body was slowly moved from La Salle Green Hills to the truck that would bring her to Intramuros.

"Every step you take brings her closer to Manila Memorial. I try not to cry but each journey, iyak-talaga ako ng iyak," she said.

She said, however, that she also shed tears of joy as she saw the thousands who expressed their love for her mother.

"We're in the middle of Makati near the stock exchange. I am looking out the window now and I see women crying. I really appreciate the love. This is just so beautiful for us. Our hearts feel so wonderful dahil pinaparamdam [nila] na mahal na mahal ang mom...the people are so appreciative of what she did for our country. It brings back so may memories of my Dad and i just want to say thank you very, very much," she said.

Kris said her nephews went outside the La Salle Green Hills gym early Monday to shake hands with people who lined up until 3 a.m. just to get a glimpse of the former president. "My sister Pinky stayed until 2 a.m. saying thank you to everybody because that's what out mom taught us, to express our gratitude to everyone," she said.

She said even their former security detail from the Presidential Security Group visited the wake at Greenhills. "They're all in active service and we thanked them for coming," she said.

The best in all of us

Several of Aquino's supporters paid tribute to the late president in their own little ways. Teresita Ang-See, founding chairman of Kaisa Para sa Kaunlaran, broke into tears as she recounted how Aquino supported their group which is composed of Chinese-Filipinos.

She said their group will light incense and bow three times before offering white flowers at Aquino's coffin, a gesture which they also did at the wake of the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin.

Former Ambassador to the Vatican Henrietta de Villa said she spoke briefly to Aquino last month and even reminded her to pray for next year's election. She described the former president as a "genuine soul" who inspired her to form the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting.

"She empowered and enabled us to do all these," she said.

Tarlac Bishop Florentino Sinese earlier celebrated Mass at the De La Salle Greenhills Gym before the funeral procession left.

In his homily, Sinese said Filipinos see in Cory "the best in each and everyone of us."

"The more we praise her, the more we reveal that we, too, desire to be like her. May these stories continue to be told and better still may these stories unfold forever," he said. 

Sinese said critics of the former president often criticized her for always resorting to prayer in everything. "Prayer cannot be a last recourse but instead the first recourse in everything," he said.

"Certainly, Cory Aquino was not perfect but her imperfections were never an excuse not to govern and rule wisely. As we pay tribute to our beloved former president, may we not only heap praises on a dead person but instead let her lfe and virtues challenge us to strive to do even better. We all dream to have a better country. She did her share. We also must do our own share," he said.

Sen. Mar Roxas, meanwhile, filed a resolution declaring January 25, the date of birth of former President Corazon Aquino, as “Cory Aquino Day.” 

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