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As the campaign progressed, Aquino began to outline her program in increasing detail. At a speech last week to a joint meeting in Manila of domestic and foreign Chambers of Commerce, she put forth a reform plan for an initial 100 days in office. She promised that she would attack Marcos-inspired corruption "with the zeal of a crusading housewife let loose in a den of world-class thieves." She said she would break up the last elements of the sugar and coconut monopolies run by Marcos cronies, remove taxes on seeds and fertilizers, and cut taxes on fuel and electricity. Her audience of at least 2,000 applauded enthusiastically.
Public support for Aquino reached a spectacular climax three days before the balloting, at the challenger's final rally. The gathering easily ranked among the largest in Philippine history. An enormous crush of humanity flocked to Manila's Rizal Park to hear Aquino and Laurel make their concluding speeches. A sea of yellow T shirts and banners, reflecting Aquino's campaign color, overflowed the sprawling harbor-front park. Yellow ticker tape and confetti rained down from office buildings surrounding the capacious square. < In contrast to earlier Aquino rallies, which had had a decidedly homespun air, an array of professional singing and television stars held the throng's attention for three hours before the opposition candidates arrived. When Aquino and Laurel finally appeared, a cacophony of auto horns erupted, fireworks lighted the evening sky, and the crowd launched into a deafening welcome chant of "Cory! Cory! Cory!"
Aquino first led the crowd in singing the Lord's Prayer. She then castigated the Marcos regime for economic mismanagement and human-rights violations, declaring, "I am sure we have won the election." Said she, surveying the crowd: "Marcos will not be able to stop this. It's our chance to write history."
Marcos faced the same Chambers of Commerce in Manila the day after Aquino, but his reception was markedly tepid. The President attacked his opponent for naively believing that the country's Communist insurgents would lay down their arms in response to a six-month cease-fire, which is part of her campaign platform. But even though Marcos announced that he would, among other things, cut sales taxes and reduce domestic oil prices, applause from the business audience was merely polite.
Later in the day, Marcos held his own concluding rally at Rizal Park. A horde of workers had descended on the area and replaced yellow-and-green Aquino-Laurel posters with red-white-and-blue placards extolling Marcos and his running mate, Arturo ("Turing") Tolentino, 75. Buses and flatbed trucks full of New Society faithful rolled in from outlying suburbs. Estimates of the crowd in the area ranged as high as 500,000. Many of those gathered for the extravaganza admitted openly that they had been paid from $2.50 to $5 to attend. As the time approached for the scheduled appearance of Marcos and his wife Imelda, helicopters flew overhead trailing red-white-and-blue smoke. Top- ranking Philippine show-business figures worked the crowd into a pleasantly receptive mood. Red-uniformed marching bands began to blare as the faithful chanted the President's campaign slogan, "Marcos pa rin!" (Marcos still!)