Misplaced Pages

#418581

75-618: President of the Philippines Post-Presidency Maria Corazon " Cory " Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino CCLH ( Tagalog: [kɔɾaˈsɔn kɔˈhwaŋkɔ aˈkino] ; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipino politician who served as the eleventh President of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992 . She was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People Power Revolution , which ended the two-decade rule of President Ferdinand Marcos and led to

150-545: A de facto government but in fact and law a de jure government", and affirmed its legitimacy. Aquino appointed all 48 members of the 1986 Constitutional Commission ("Con-Com"), led by retired activist and former Supreme Court Associate Justice Cecilia Muñoz-Palma , which was tasked with writing a new constitution. The Commission completed its final draft of the Constitution in October 1986. On February 2, 1987,

225-467: A market liberalization agenda to combat this problem. President Aquino particularly targeted the sugar industry and the coconut industry for de-monopolization. Throughout the tenure of President Ferdinand Marcos, government foreign debt had ballooned from less than $ 3 billion in 1970 to $ 28 billion by the end of his administration, through privatization of bad government assets and deregulation of many vital industries. The debt had badly tarnished

300-750: A 0.4% decrease in 1991 in the aftermath of the 1989 coup attempt by the Reform the Armed Forces Movement, which shook international confidence in the Philippine economy and hindered foreign investment. Aquino made fighting inflation one of her priorities after the nation suffered from skyrocketing prices during the last years of the Marcos administration. The last six years of the Marcos administration recorded an average annual inflation rate of 20.9%, which peaked in 1984 at 50.3%. From 1986 to 1992,

375-603: A controversy that centered on Hacienda Luisita , a 6,453-hectare estate located in the province of Tarlac which she and her siblings inherited from her father José Cojuangco. Instead of land distribution, Hacienda Luisita reorganized itself into a corporation and distributed stock. As such, ownership of agricultural portions of the hacienda was transferred to the corporation, which in turn, gave its shares of stocks to farmers. Critics argued that Aquino bowed to pressure from relatives by allowing stock redistribution in lieu of land redistribution under CARP. The stock redistribution scheme

450-402: A happy transition from the almost aristocratic and enigmatic characteristic of Spanish conquistadores to the democratic way of life under American tutelage. Paniqui is situated between the towns of Gerona in the south, Moncada in the north, Anao and Ramos in the east while Camiling and Santa Ignacia are to its west. The town was originally part of the province of Pangasinan . It

525-521: A heart attack, and Marcos allowed Senator Aquino and his family to leave for exile in the United States upon intervention from U.S. President Jimmy Carter so that Aquino could seek medical treatment. The family settled in Boston , and Corazon Aquino would later recall the next three years as the happiest days of her marriage and family life. On August 21, 1983, Benigno Aquino Jr. ended his stay in

600-695: A legitimate segment of the Katipunan on January 12, 1896, which is a far cry from the bandits that used to harass the Spaniards. These dauntless men made daring exploits, unrecorded in the history of the Katipunan , the most prominent of which was the ambuscade of Spanish soldiers along the road going to Anao and killing a great number of them. These incidents made a prelude to the end of the Spanish occupation in Paniqui. The advent of American occupation saw

675-572: A member of the Liberal Party , rose to become the youngest governor in the country in 1961 and then the youngest senator ever elected to the Senate of the Philippines in 1967. For most of her husband's political career, Aquino remained a housewife who raised their children and hosted her spouse's political allies who would visit their Quezon City home. She would decline to join her husband on stage during campaign rallies, instead preferring to be in

750-585: A militant splinter group from the MNLF that sought to secede from the Philippines to establish an Islamic state in Mindanao. Peace talks with MILF began in 1997 under President Fidel Ramos and violent insurgency officially continued until 2014, when peace accords were formally signed between MILF and the administration of President Benigno Aquino III that would lead to the creation of the BARMM. The establishment of

825-447: A priest advised her and her children to try to live as normal lives as possible. Despite Corazon's initial opposition, Benigno Aquino Jr. decided to run in the 1978 Batasang Pambansa elections from his prison cell as party leader of the newly created LABAN . Corazon Aquino campaigned on behalf of her husband and delivered a political speech for the first time in her life during this political campaign. In 1980 Benigno Aquino Jr. suffered

SECTION 10

#1732772476419

900-479: A privileged daughter of a wealthy and landed clan became a lightning rod of criticisms against her land reform agenda. After the Mendiola Massacre and in response to calls for agrarian reform, President Aquino issued Presidential Proclamation 131 and Executive Order 229 on July 22, 1987, which outlined her land reform program, including sugar lands. In 1988, with the backing of Aquino, the new Congress of

975-472: A proportion of their capital stock , equity or participation in favor of their workers or other qualified beneficiaries", in lieu of turning over their land to the government for redistribution. Despite the flaws in the law, the Supreme Court upheld its constitutionality in 1989, declaring that the implementation of CARP was "a revolutionary kind of expropriation". Corazon Aquino herself was subject to

1050-586: A share in the national revenue. During Aquino's tenure, vital economic laws such as the Built-Operate-Transfer Law, Foreign Investments Act, and the Consumer Protection and Welfare Act were also enacted. The economy posted a positive growth of 3.4% during Aquino's first year in office, and continued to grow at an overall positive rate throughout her tenure for an average rate of 3.4% from 1986 to 1992. Real GDP growth suffered

1125-417: A third term, declared martial law on September 21, 1972 and later abolished the constitution, thereby allowing him to remain in office. Benigno Aquino Jr. was among the first to be arrested at the onset of martial law, and was later sentenced to death. During her husband's incarceration, Corazon Aquino stopped going to beauty salons or buying new clothes and prohibited her children from attending parties, until

1200-505: Is a great number of mammals called by Ilocanos "pampaniki" and it was from this term that the name Paniqui was derived. An uprising led by Caragay during the early part of 1720 forced the Local Government in "manggang marikit" to abandon the place and to evacuate for lowland called "Acocolao", a place 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) west of the present Poblacion. It was a historical sitio where the first Filipino Moro, Sultan Ali Mudin,

1275-407: Is first known as Manggang Marikit, a sitio of Pangasinan, in 1571 and as Pampaniki in 1686. Paniqui is 146 kilometers (91 mi) from the nation's capital Manila and is 22 kilometers (14 mi) from the provincial capital, Tarlac City . Paniqui is politically subdivided into 35 barangays .   Each barangay consists of puroks and some have sitios . In the 2020 Philippine census ,

1350-497: Is the first female president of the Philippines and is still the only president of the Philippines to have never held any prior political position. Aquino is regarded as the first female president in Asia . On February 25, 1986, the first day of her administration, Aquino issued Proclamation No. 1, which announced an intention to reorganize the government and called on all officials appointed by Marcos to resign, starting with members of

1425-543: The Armed Forces of the Philippines and support from the Philippine Catholic Church , ousted Marcos and secured Aquino's accession to the presidency on February 25, 1986. Prior to her election as president, Aquino had not held any elected office. She was the first female president of the Philippines. As president, Aquino oversaw the drafting of the 1987 Constitution , which limited the powers of

1500-597: The Batasang Bayan and later the Batasang Pambansa. The ratification of the new Constitution was soon followed by the election of senators and the election of House of Representatives members on May 11, 1987, as well as local elections on January 18, 1988. After the ratification of the constitution, Aquino promulgated two landmark legal codes , namely, the Family Code of 1987 , which reformed

1575-501: The Constitution of the Philippines was ratified by nationwide plebiscite . It remains the constitution of the Philippines to the present day. The Constitution established a bill of rights and a three-branch government consisting of the executive department, the legislative department, and the judicial department. The Constitution restored the bicameral Congress, which in 1973 had been abolished by Marcos and replaced with first

SECTION 20

#1732772476419

1650-573: The Mendiola Massacre . The incident was initially a peaceful protest by agrarian workers and farmers who had marched to the historic Mendiola Street near the Malacañan Palace to demand genuine land reform. The massacre occurred when Marines fired at farmers who tried to go beyond the designated demarcation line set by the police. The massacre resulted in several resignations from Aquino's cabinet, including Jose W. Diokno , head of

1725-542: The Mother of Democracy . María Corazón Sumulong Cojuangco was born on January 25, 1933, in Paniqui , Tarlac . She was born to the prominent Cojuangco family. Her father was José Cojuangco , a prominent Tarlac businessman and former congressman, and her mother was Demetria Sumulong, a pharmacist. Both of Aquino's parents were from prominent political families. Aquino's grandfather from her father's side, Melecio Cojuangco,

1800-536: The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), which was tasked with retrieving Marcos' domestic and international fortune. After his declaration of martial law in 1972 and his consolidation of authoritarian power, President Ferdinand Marcos issued various government decrees that awarded monopoly or oligopoly power over entire industries to various close associates , in a scheme later regarded as crony capitalism . President Aquino pursued

1875-527: The Supreme Court . On March 25, 1986, President Aquino issued Proclamation No. 3 , which announced a transitional government into a democratic system. She abolished the 1973 Constitution that was in force during the martial law era , and by decree issued the provisional 1986 Freedom Constitution , pending the ratification of a more formal and comprehensive charter. This constitutional allowed her to exercise both executive and legislative powers during

1950-485: The civil law on family relations, and the Administrative Code of 1987 , which reorganized the structure of the executive department of government . Another landmark law that was enacted during her tenure was the 1991 Local Government Code , which devolved national government powers to local government units (LGUs). The new Code enhanced the power of LGUs to enact local taxation measures and assured them of

2025-570: The election held on February 7, 1986, the Batasang Pambansa proclaimed Marcos and his running mate Arturo Tolentino as the winners, which prompted allegations of electoral fraud and Aquino's call for massive civil disobedience actions. Subsequently, the People Power Revolution, a non-violent mass demonstration movement, took place from February 22 to 25. The People Power Revolution, along with defections from

2100-844: The ARMM Organic Act, which established the Moro majority areas in the Mindanao island group as an autonomous region with its own government. The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao lasted from 1989 to 2019, after which it was succeeded by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The establishment of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was opposed by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),

2175-525: The ARMM also led to the establishment of Abu Sayyaf , a terrorist group founded in 1989 by Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani and composed of radical former members of the MNLF. Terrorist attacks by Abu Sayyaf would start in 1995 and continue to the present day, including the 2004 bombing of the MV Superferry 14 that resulted in the deaths of 116 people. Shortly after becoming president, Aquino ordered

2250-772: The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARP). President Aquino conducted peace talks with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), an armed Moro Muslim insurgency group that sought to establish an independent Moro state within Mindanao . Aquino met with MNLF leader Nur Misuari and various MNLF groups in Sulu . In 1989, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) was created under Republic Act No. 6734 or

2325-537: The Marcos government, citing a strong belief that Aquino was the real winner in the contested presidential election. Enrile, Ramos, and the rebel soldiers then set up operations in Camp Aguinaldo , the headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines , and Camp Crame , the headquarters of the Philippine Constabulary , across Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA). Cardinal Sin appealed to

Corazon Aquino - Misplaced Pages Continue

2400-435: The Marcos regime. She began to assume the mantle of leadership left by her husband and became a figurehead of the anti-Marcos political opposition. On November 3, 1985, during an interview with American journalist David Brinkley on This Week with David Brinkley , Marcos suddenly announced snap elections that would be held within three months to dispel doubt against his regime's legitimate authority, an action that surprised

2475-479: The Mendiola Massacre on January 22, 1987, during which at least 12 farmers were killed at a protest rally. Soon after Aquino took office, several Philippine senators declared that the presence of U.S. military forces in the Philippines was an affront to national sovereignty. The senators called for the United States military to vacate U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay and Clark Air Base, and Aquino opposed their demand. The United States objected by stating that they had leased

2550-944: The Philippines and studied law at Far Eastern University in 1953. While attending, she met Benigno "Ninoy" S. Aquino Jr. , who was the son of the late Speaker Benigno S. Aquino Sr. and a grandson of General Servillano Aquino . She discontinued her law education and married Benigno at the Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Pasay , Rizal on October 11, 1954. The couple had five children: Maria Elena ("Ballsy"; born 1955), Aurora Corazon ("Pinky"; born 1957), Benigno Simeon III ("Noynoy"; 1960–2021), Victoria Elisa ("Viel"; born 1961) and Kristina Bernadette ("Kris"; born 1971). Aquino had initially had difficulty adjusting to provincial life when she and her husband moved to Concepcion, Tarlac in 1955. Aquino found herself bored in Concepcion, and welcomed

2625-431: The Philippines passed Republic Act No. 6657, more popularly known as the "Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law" (CARP), which paved the way for the redistribution of agricultural lands from landowners to tenant-farmers. Landowners were paid in exchange by the government through just compensation , and were also not allowed to retain more than five hectares of land. The law also allowed corporate landowners to "voluntarily divest

2700-604: The Philippines recorded an average annual inflation rate of 9.2%. During the Aquino administration, the annual inflation rate peaked at 18.1% in 1991; a stated reason for this increase was panic buying during the Gulf War . Overall, the economy under Aquino had an average growth of 3.8% from 1986 to 1992. One of Aquino's first actions as president was to seize Marcos' multi-billion dollar fortune of ill-gotten wealth . On February 28, 1986, four days into her presidency, Aquino formed

2775-659: The Presidential Committee on Human Rights, chairman of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), and chairman of the government panel in charge of negotiations with rebel forces resigned from his government posts. His daughter Maris said, "It was the only time we saw him near tears." In September 1987, Vice President Doy Laurel resigned as secretary of foreign affairs. In his resignation letter to Aquino, Laurel stated, "the past years of Marcos are now beginning to look no worse than your first two years in office. And

2850-689: The Secretary of National Defense in the name and by authority of the President of the Philippines . The civilian division of the Philippine Legion of Honor is composed of the following ranks: The Armed Forces of the Philippines has its own regulations governing the conferment of the Philippine Legion of Honor . Paniqui, Tarlac Paniqui is a Hispanized term derived from the Ilocano word " pampaniki " which means " bat ", since

2925-511: The U.S. military moved out. Aquino opposed the Senate's demand and believed that the bases should have remained. Aquino organized a protest against the pullout, which only gathered between 100,000 and 150,000 supporters, far short of the 500,000 to 1 million that had been originally expected. Philippine Legion of Honor The Philippine Legion of Honor ( Filipino : Lehiyong Pandangal ng Pilipinas ; Spanish : Legión de Honor Filipina )

3000-616: The United States and returned without his family to the Philippines, where he was immediately assassinated on a staircase leading to the tarmac of Manila International Airport . The airport is now named Ninoy Aquino International Airport, renamed by the Congress in his honor in 1987. Corazon Aquino returned to the Philippines a few days later and led her husband's funeral procession, in which more than two million people participated. Following her husband's assassination in 1983, Corazon Aquino became active in various demonstrations held against

3075-414: The United States in regards to the continued United States military presence in the Philippines at Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base . Another point of attack for Marcos was Aquino's inexperience in public office. Marcos' campaign was characterized by sexist attacks, such as remarks by Marcos that Aquino was "just a woman" and that a woman's remarks should be limited to the bedroom. The snap election

Corazon Aquino - Misplaced Pages Continue

3150-489: The alleged election-rigging being done in favor of Marcos. Years later it was claimed that the walkout of computer technicians was led by Linda Kapunan, wife of Lt Col Eduardo Kapunan, a leader of Reform the Armed Forces Movement that plotted to attack the Malacañang Palace and kill Marcos and his family, leading to a partial reevaluation of the walkout event. On February 15, 1986, the Batasang Pambansa , which

3225-429: The back of the audience and listen to him. Unbeknownst to many at the time, Corazon Aquino sold some of her prized inheritance to fund the candidacy of her husband. As Benigno Aquino Jr. emerged as a leading critic of the government of President Ferdinand Marcos , he became seen as a strong candidate for president to succeed Marcos in the 1973 elections. However, Marcos, who was barred by the 1935 Constitution to seek

3300-399: The basic rank, and Chief Commander being the highest. With the reform of the Philippine system of orders and decorations in 2003, the Philippine Legion of Honor's classes were renamed "ranks" instead of "degrees", and the ranks expanded. Today, the Philippine Legion of Honor is conferred upon a Filipino or foreign citizen in recognition of valuable and meritorious service in relation to

3375-594: The campaign of U.S. Republican presidential candidate Thomas Dewey against Democratic incumbent U.S. President Harry S. Truman during the 1948 United States presidential election . After graduating from high school, she pursued her college education at the College of Mount Saint Vincent in New York, graduating in 1953 with a major in French and minor in mathematics. After graduating from college, she returned to

3450-494: The election. Aquino rejected a power-sharing agreement proposed by the American diplomat Philip Habib , who had been sent as an emissary by U.S. President Ronald Reagan to help defuse the tension. On February 22, 1986, disgruntled and reformist military officers led by Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and General Fidel V. Ramos surprised the nation and the international community by the announcement of their defection from

3525-489: The establishment of the current democratic Fifth Philippine Republic . Corazon Aquino was married to Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. , who was one of the most prominent critics of President Marcos. After the assassination of her husband on August 21, 1983, she emerged as leader of the opposition against the president. In late 1985, Marcos called for a snap election , and Aquino ran for president with former Senator Salvador Laurel as her running mate for vice president . After

3600-426: The international credit standing and economic reputation of the country. President Aquino inherited the debt of the Marcos administration and weighed all options on what to do with the debt, including not paying the debt. Aquino eventually chose to honor all the debts that were previously incurred in order to clear the country's economic reputation. Her decision proved to be unpopular but Aquino defended it, saying that

3675-582: The military affairs of the Republic of the Philippines. It is thus the primary order of military merit of the Republic of the Philippines . To signify the importance of the civil service in military affairs in the preservation of the honor of the Republic of the Philippines and in nation building, the Philippine Legion of Honor is conferred on the anniversary of the declaration of Philippine Independence. The Philippine Legion of Honor may be awarded by

3750-489: The nation. The election was later scheduled to be held on February 7, 1986. A petition was organized to urge Aquino to run for president, headed by former newspaper publisher Joaquin Roces . On December 1, the petition of 1.2 million signatures was publicly presented to Aquino in an event attended by 15,000 people, and on December 3, Aquino officially declared her candidacy. United Opposition (UNIDO) party leader Salvador Laurel

3825-476: The net national debt by $ 5 billion within six years due to the need to infuse capital and money into the economy. The Aquino administration was able to reduce the Philippines' external debt-to-GDP ratio by 30.1 percent, from 87.9 percent at the start of the administration to 67.8 percent in 1991. President Aquino envisioned agrarian and land reform as the centerpiece of her administration's social legislative agenda. However, her family background and social class as

SECTION 50

#1732772476419

3900-421: The new Philippine government. Many of these attempts were conducted by the Reform the Armed Forces Movement, who attempted to establish a military government , while other attempts were conducted by loyalists to former President Marcos. On January 22, 1987, during the era of transition government and shortly before the nationwide plebiscite to ratify the Constitution, 12 citizens were killed and 51 were injured in

3975-518: The opportunity to have dinner with her husband inside the American military facility at nearby Clark Field . Afterwards, the Aquino family moved to a bungalow in suburban Quezon City . Throughout her life, Aquino was known to be a devout Roman Catholic . Corazon Aquino was fluent in French , Japanese , Spanish , and English aside from her native Tagalog and Kapampangan . Benigno Aquino Jr.,

4050-411: The people, made sporadic attacks upon the conquistadores . These attacks on the Spaniards, who came on the islands bringing the sword and the cross, were marred by cholera and smallpox epidemics punctuated by floods and typhoons. However, a group of Paniqui patriots , welded together by a common belief of oneness, unselfish devotion for freedom and who were spurred by ruthless Spanish tyranny, organized

4125-417: The period of transitional government. After the issuance of Proclamation No. 1, all 15 members of the Supreme Court submitted their resignations. Aquino then reorganized the membership of the Supreme Court with the stated purpose of restoring its judicial independence . On May 22, 1986, in the case Lawyers League v. President Aquino , the reorganized Supreme Court declared the Aquino government as "not merely

4200-466: The presidency and re-established the bicameral Congress , removing the previous dictatorial government structure. Her economic policies focused on forging good economic standing amongst the international community as well as disestablishing Marcos-era crony capitalist monopolies, emphasizing the free market and responsible economy. Her administration pursued peace talks to resolve the Moro conflict , and

4275-548: The property and that the leases were still in effect. The United States stated that the facilities at Subic Bay were unequaled anywhere in Southeast Asia and a U.S. pullout could make all of that region of the world vulnerable to an incursion by the Soviet Union or by a resurgent Japan. Another issue with the demand was that thousands of Filipinos worked at these military facilities and they would lose their jobs if

4350-496: The public in a broadcast over Church-run Radyo Veritas , and millions of Filipinos gathered to the part of Epifanio De Los Santos Avenue between the two camps to give their support and prayers to the rebels. At that time, Aquino was meditating in a Carmelite convent in Cebu . Upon learning of the defection, Aquino and Cardinal Sin appeared on Radyo Veritas to rally behind Enrile and Ramos. Aquino then flew back to Manila to prepare for

4425-524: The release of hundreds of political prisoners imprisoned during the Marcos era, including communist insurgents belonging to the Communist Party of the Philippines . These releases included leaders such as Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison and New People's Army founder Bernabe Buscayno , which the military strongly resisted. Preliminary peace talks with the CPP ended after

4500-506: The reported controversies and scandals involving your closest relatives have become the object of our people's outrage. From 16,500 NPA regular when Marcos fell, the communists now claim an armed strength of 25,200. From city to countryside, anarchy has spread. There is anarchy within the government, anarchy within the ruling coalesced parties and anarchy in the streets." Finance Minister Jaime Ongpin , who had successfully advocated for paying external debt incurred during Marcos' administration,

4575-499: The result of these talks was creation of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Aquino was criticized for the Mendiola Massacre , which resulted in the shooting deaths of at least 12 peaceful protesters by Philippine state security forces. The Philippines faced various natural calamities in the latter part of Aquino's administration, such as the 1990 Luzon earthquake , 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption and Tropical Storm Thelma . Several coup attempts were made against her government. She

SECTION 60

#1732772476419

4650-484: The takeover of the government. Aquino was sworn in as the eleventh president of the Philippines on February 25, 1986. An hour after Aquino's inauguration, Marcos held his own inauguration ceremony at the Malacañang Palace. Later that same day, Ferdinand E. Marcos fled from the Philippines to Hawaii . Corazon Aquino's accession to the presidency marked the end of authoritarian rule in the Philippines. Aquino

4725-690: The top of her class as valedictorian. She transferred to Assumption Convent , then also in Manila, to pursue high school studies. After her family moved to the United States, she attended the Assumption-run Ravenhill Academy in Philadelphia . She then transferred to Notre Dame Convent School in New York City , where she graduated from in 1949. During her high school years in the United States, Aquino volunteered for

4800-519: The town has caves that house bats. The birth of Paniqui could be traced way back in 1712 when the provincial government of Pangasinan sent a group of men south of Bayambang , Pangasinan for the expansion of the Christian faith. The pioneering group was led by two brothers, Raymundo and Manuel Paragas of Dagupan and established the Local Government in a Sitio called "manggang marikit" (mango of an unmarried woman). Surprisingly, in this sitio, there

4875-470: Was baptized in 1750. Paniqui was a sprawling town that covered a wide area that time. Some of the barrios that formerly comprised Paniqui were "San Roque", now Cuyapo ; "Barong", now Gerona ; "San Jose De Camiling", now Camiling ; "Bani", now Ramos ; "San Ramon", now Moncada ; and Anao . The period between 1750 and 1896 were painful years of Spanish tyranny and oppression because the insurrectos and sometimes bandits, who are conveniently sprouted among

4950-672: Was a member of the historic Malolos Congress , and Aquino's mother belonged to the politically influential Sumulong family of Rizal province , which included Juan Sumulong , who ran against Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon in 1941 and Senator Lorenzo Sumulong , who was later appointed by Aquino in the Constitutional Commission . Aquino was the sixth of eight children, two of whom died in infancy. Her siblings were Pedro, Josephine, Teresita, Jose Jr., and Maria Paz. Aquino spent her elementary school days at St. Scholastica's College in Manila, where she graduated at

5025-413: Was chosen as Aquino's running mate as candidate for vice president. During the campaign, Marcos attacked Corazon Aquino on her husband's previous ties to communists , characterizing the election as a fight "between democracy and communism". Aquino refuted Marcos' charge and stated that she would not appoint a single communist to her cabinet. Marcos also accused Aquino of playing " political football " with

5100-512: Was dismissed by Aquino in September 1987 and later died in an apparent suicide in December 1987. His widow stated that he had been depressed due to infighting in Aquino's cabinet and lack of significant change since the People Power Revolution. Soon after the Mendiola Massacre, the Aquino administration and Congress worked to pass significant agrarian reform, which culminated in the passage of

5175-541: Was dominated by Marcos' ruling party and its allies, declared President Marcos as the winner of the election. However, NAMFREL 's electoral count showed that Corazon Aquino had won. Aquino claimed victory according to NAMFREL's electoral count and called for a rally dubbed "Tagumpay ng Bayan" (People's Victory Rally) the following day to protest the declaration by the Batasang Pambansa. Aquino also called for boycotts against products and services from companies controlled or owned by individuals closely allied with Marcos. The rally

5250-553: Was established by President Manuel Roxas , through Philippine Army Circular No. 60 dated July 3, 1947. The Philippine Legion of Honor was patterned after the Legion of Merit of the United States of America , and was meant to honor both civilians and members of the military, Filipino or foreign. Originally, like the U.S. Legion of Merit, the Philippine Legion of Honor had four classes, known as degrees, with Legionnaire being

5325-472: Was held at the historic Rizal Park in Luneta, Manila and drew a pro-Aquino crowd of around two million people. The dubious election results drew condemnation from both domestic and foreign powers. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines issued a statement strongly criticizing the conduct of the election, describing the election as violent and fraudulent. The United States Senate likewise condemned

5400-501: Was held on February 7, 1986, and was marred by massive electoral fraud, violence, intimidation, coercion, and disenfranchisement of voters. On February 11, while votes were still being tabulated, former Antique Governor Evelio Javier , who had been director of Aquino's campaign in Antique, was assassinated. During the tallying of votes conducted by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), 30 poll computer technicians walked out to contest

5475-470: Was revoked in 2006, when the Department of Agrarian Reform ordered the mandatory redistribution of land to tenant-farmers of Hacienda Luisita. The Department of Agrarian Reform had looked into its revocation since 2004, when violence erupted in the hacienda over the retrenchment of workers, leaving seven people dead. From 1986 to 1990 numerous coup attempts were enacted on the Aquino administration and

5550-408: Was succeeded as president by Fidel V. Ramos and returned to civilian life in 1992. Aquino was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2008 and died on August 1, 2009 . Her son Benigno Aquino III served as president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016 . After her death, monuments were built and public landmarks were named in honor of Corazon Aquino all around the Philippines. Aquino was regarded as

5625-408: Was the most practical move. Beginning in 1986, the Aquino administration paid off $ 4 billion of the country's outstanding debts to improve its international credit ratings and attract the attention of foreign investors. This move also ensured lower interest rates and longer payment terms for future loans. During the Aquino administration, the Philippines acquired an additional $ 9 billion debt, increasing

#418581