Palace declares week of mourning on passing of Cory

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, still in the United States for a working visit, on Saturday expressed her condolences over the demise of democracy icon, former President Corazon Aquino. Mrs. Arroyo’s message was relayed to radio dzBB by Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, who is also accompanying the President in her US trip. "President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo joins the rest of the nation in mourning the demise of former president Cory Aquino and joins the entire country in expressing our most sincere condolences to the Aquino family over this development," Remonde said in the interview. Remonde said the Palace will be declaring more than week of mourning, or exactly 10 days, because of Mrs. Aquino's death. The Palace official also said that Mrs. Arroyo will be delivering a "state of funeral honors" for the late president. "[We are doing this] to pay respect to the hero of People Power and the late democracy icon," Remonde said.

Mrs. Aquino succumbed to cardiorespiratory arrest at 3:18 a.m. at the Makati Medical Center, where she had been confined since last June. She was 76. "She would have wanted us to thank each and everyone of you for all your continued love and support. It was her wish for all of us to pray for one another and for our country," Mrs. Aquino’s son, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III, said in reading a part of the official statement. Even before the official statement from the Aquino family, news of the former President’s demise started circulating on the Web. The first tweet to break Mrs. Aquino’s death was posted at 4:40 a.m. by user Jeco_P. “Former President Corazon Aquino just passed away deepest condolences to jiggycruz (grandchild) and your family," the tweet read.- GMANews.TV