Aquino-Cojuangco

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Maria Corazon Aquino, née Maria Corazon Cojuangco , (born
January 25, 1933, Tarlac province, Philippines—died August 1,
2009, Makati), Philippine political leader who served
as president (1986–92) of the Philippines, restoring democratic
rule in that country after the long dictatorship of Ferdinand
Marcos.
Corazon Cojuangco was born into a wealthy, politically prominent
family based in Tarlac province, north of Manila. She graduated
from Mount St. Vincent College in New York City in 1954 but
abandoned further studies in 1955 to marry Benigno Simeon
Aquino, Jr., who was then a promising young politician. Corazon
remained in the background during her husband’s subsequent
career, rearing their five children at home. Her husband, who had
become a prominent opposition politician, was jailed by Marcos
for eight years (1972–80), and Corazon accompanied him into
exile in the United States in 1980. Benigno was assassinated
upon his return to the Philippines in August 1983. This
event galvanized opposition to the Marcos government.
• WHEN FERDINAND E. MARCOS UNEXPECTEDLY CALLED FOR
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN FEBRUARY 1986, CORAZON AQUINO
BECAME THE UNIFIED OPPOSITION’S PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE.
THOUGH SHE WAS OFFICIALLY REPORTED TO HAVE LOST THE ELECTION
TO MARCOS, AQUINO AND HER SUPPORTERS CHALLENGED THE
RESULTS, CHARGING WIDESPREAD VOTING FRAUD. HIGH OFFICIALS IN
THE PHILIPPINE MILITARY SOON PUBLICLY RENOUNCED MARCOS’S
CONTINUED RULE AND PROCLAIMED AQUINO THE PHILIPPINES’
RIGHTFUL PRESIDENT. ON FEBRUARY 25, 1986, BOTH AQUINO AND
MARCOS WERE INAUGURATED AS PRESIDENT BY THEIR RESPECTIVE
SUPPORTERS, BUT THAT SAME DAY MARCOS FLED THE COUNTRY.
• IN MARCH 1986 AQUINO PROCLAIMED A PROVISIONAL CONSTITUTION AND SOON THEREAFTER APPOINTED A
COMMISSION TO WRITE A NEW CONSTITUTION. THE RESULTING DOCUMENT, WHICH RESTORED THE
BICAMERAL CONGRESS ABOLISHED BY MARCOS IN 1973, WAS RATIFIED BY A LANDSLIDE POPULAR VOTE IN
FEBRUARY 1987. AQUINO HELD ELECTIONS TO THE NEW CONGRESS AND BROKE UP THE MONOPOLIES HELD
BY MARCOS’S ALLIES OVER THE ECONOMY, WHICH EXPERIENCED STEADY GROWTH FOR SEVERAL YEARS. BUT
SHE FAILED TO UNDERTAKE FUNDAMENTAL ECONOMIC OR SOCIAL REFORMS, AND HER POPULARITY STEADILY
DECLINED AS SHE FACED CONTINUAL OUTCRIES OVER ECONOMIC INJUSTICE AND POLITICAL CORRUPTION.
THESE PROBLEMS WERE EXACERBATED BY PERSISTENT WARFARE BETWEEN THE COMMUNIST INSURGENCY AND
A MILITARY WHOSE LOYALTIES TO AQUINO WERE UNCERTAIN. IN GENERAL, HER ECONOMIC POLICIES WERE
CRITICIZED FOR BEING MIXED OR FALTERING IN THE FACE OF MASS POVERTY. AQUINO WAS SUCCEEDED IN
OFFICE BY HER FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY, FIDEL RAMOS.
AQUINO-COJUANGCO THEY DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW