Her presidency was punctuated by a series of coup attempts, but in her death soldiers gave the country’s first woman Commander-In-Chief, Corazon C. Aquino, their snappiest salute as they thanked her for paving the way for the military to recapture its place in the Constitutional order.

A few hours following her death on Saturday, cannon fires from a 105 howitzer roared loud at Camp Aguinaldo and other major military camps in the country while the military stood proud and still as they saluted their former commander-in-chief through the traditional “volley of fire.”

Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff, Gen. Victor Ibrado praised the former President to whom, he said, the armed forces is indebted as it was during her administration that the military institution started a long process of self-review and assessment.

He also described Mrs. Aquino as “a great leader, icon and symbol of our country’s resilient spirit.”

He said the former President “was and will always be the embodiment of leadership by example and pride in our heritage as a free nation. In her, we saw strength in grace, courage in faith, and determination in hope.

“As the leader that unified the Filipino people during the EDSA Revolution, she was the rallying figure that carried an entire nation out the shadows of political divisiveness and partisan strife.”

“Her presidency was a shining moment in our country’s and in our armed forces’ history when the military regained its moral footing, recaptured its place in the constitutional order, and re-committed itself to preserving our democratic system.