Ex-president of Philippines and global icon of democracy Miss Corazon Aquino died on Saturday (August 01, 2009) at the age of 76. She had been suffering from colon cancer for the past 16 months.

Ms Aquino, remembered generally as the ‘woman in yellow’, became a champion of the global democratic movement in the 1980s when she led the rebellious democrats in the country against Ferdinand Marcos – one of the most infamous dictators of the 20th century. The red letter day came in 1986 when hundreds of her supporters, waving flowers, blocked the way of military tanks sent by Marcos to attack Aquino’s supporting rebels. Ms Aquino remained the President of Philippines from 1986 to 1992.

At the time of her death, which occurred around 3:20 am, Ms Aquino was laying in her hospital room surrounded by all her five children. She is reported to have passed away peacefully to the other side.

On receiving her death news, thousands of Filipinos gathered and walked to her home, in spite of the continual rain. They carried candles and flowers and left these at the shrine commemorating the culmination of her revolution. People had also tied yellow ribbons to their vehicles and on trees – a symbolic tribute to the ‘woman in yellow’. Ms Aquino will be buried on Wednesday (August 05, 2009) by the side of her late husband Benigno.