https://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2009/08/05/and-last/feed/PJ Media is a leading news site covering culture, politics, faith, homeland security, and more. Our reporters and columnists provide original, in-depth analysis from a variety of perspectives.en-usTue, 09 Jun 2026 23:32:45 -0400<![CDATA[It was a hard act to follow. The crowds that attended Benigno Aquino&#8217;s funeral procession in 1983 were the largest ever seen in Manila, despite the fact that only one radio station &#8212; the church owned Radio Veritas &#8212; covered the event. The occasion was widely understood not only as funerary, but political: the procession in 1983 was a symbol of the death of democracy; attendance an act of solidarity with its victims; and mourning a tacit protest against the dictator. When Corazon Aquino was buried on August 5 (EST) 2009, the crowds of 26 years before were far surpassed.  The city ground to a halt. Ships sounded their mournful horns at harbor. Bells rang and throngs stood in the rain along the 14 mile route to the cemetery.  Former Philippine Ambassador to the Vatican Howard Dee said:]]>Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:24:35 -0400<![CDATA[Richard Fernandez]]>https://pjmedia.com/richard-fernandez/2009/08/05/and-last-n188924