She was an unlikely revolutionary. A member not of one but two of the Philippines' most powerful families, Mrs. Corazon Aquino nonetheless led the popular revolt against President Ferdinand Marcos, sweeping him from office and setting an example for "people power" movements around the world ever since. Her quiet dignity and iron will provided a much needed center for a country whose politics was often in turmoil. Passing away last weekend at the age of 76 from cancer, she will be much missed.

It was a personal tragedy of the most horrific kind that propelled Mrs. Aquino into politics. Her husband was Benigno Aquino Jr., the head of the opposition movement in the Philippines who had been forced into exile in May 1980, eight years after Marcos had declared martial law to avoid the term limits imposed by the Philippine Constitution. Aquino, along with thousands of other opponents of the regime, had been incarcerated — ostensibly for links to communist rebels. Yielding to U.S. pressure, Marcos allowed Aquino to go into exile for heart surgery; he and his family remained in the U.S. for three years.

On Aug. 21, 1983, Aquino returned home to organize the opposition. While being escorted off the plane, he was shot and killed. The Manila government blamed a communist rebel, but a subsequent investigation indicated that the soldier who had led him off the plane likely murdered him on the tarmac.

Mrs. Aquino returned to the Philippines three days later and began to rally public opposition to the Marcos regime. As crowds numbered in the millions, Marcos called a snap election to confirm his mandate. He won, defeating Mrs. Aquino, but all credible observers alleged massive fraud. Two weeks after the election and as the dispute raged, a group of military officers mutinied against Marcos; they were protected by hundreds of thousands of Filipinos who answered the Roman Catholic Church's call to jam the streets and prevent a counteroffensive by the government. Mrs. Aquino joined the soldiers, announcing that "For the first time in the history of the world, a civilian population has been called to defend the military." That declaration won the officers' loyalty.

The U.S., a longtime ally of Marcos, increased pressure on the president to step down. He relented, and Mrs. Aquino was sworn in as president on Feb. 25, 1986, the same day that Marcos left. Thus began a tumultuous six-year rule that many consider most notable for what did not occur. Her land reform program fell well short of expectations, failing to end the domination of the country's economy by the landed elite — that should not have been a surprise given her membership in that group. Her initial attempts to reach out to the communist insurgents were undermined by resistance from the military. Hopes for reconciliation with the rebels faded with her ambitions. That insurgency continues to this day.

But equally notable were the coups that did not succeed. Seven attempts were launched during her six years in office. She fended them all off. That success was a testimony to the inner strength of a woman, with no political training or experience, who nonetheless managed to oversee the adoption of a new constitution that was approved by 80 percent of the popular vote. She restored a freely elected Parliament and an independent judiciary — impressive accomplishments for someone who just two years earlier had said "I don't know anything about the presidency" before deciding to challenge Marcos in the 1986 ballot.

The success of Mrs. Aquino's "people power" revolt has inspired nonviolent protests worldwide, including those that ended communist rule in the former Soviet satellites and the "color revolutions" that have erupted ever since around the globe.

Ironically, that is a mixed legacy in the Philippines itself. It has encouraged the public — and those who would manipulate them — to take to the streets whenever they are frustrated with or aggrieved by their political system. Philippine democracy may be flawed — no system is perfect — but the readiness to embrace extra-parliamentary action only compounds those defects; it does not remedy them. It undermines the democratic process and lowers the threshold of acceptable behavior.

Despite acknowledging that problem, after leaving office Mrs. Aquino did not hesitate to join protests that threatened to undermine Philippine democracy. She helped lead the protests that deposed President Joseph Estrada in 2001 and supported efforts to force his successor, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, to leave office. But last year, she apologized to Mr. Estrada for bringing down his government.

That contradiction captures the heart of Mrs. Aquino's legacy. Thrust into a situation for which she had never prepared, she nevertheless galvanized public sentiment and bent larger forces to her will. Genuine democracy depends on more than individual leaders, however. Ultimately, it is a system whose survival depends on the subordination of personalities to process, no matter how flawed. The Philippines still struggle to find the appropriate balance between the two, Mrs. Aquino's unforgettable efforts notwithstanding.