CATHERINE A.

DOMINGUEZ
B.A. POLITICAL SCIENCE IV

Corazon Cojuangco Aquino (1933-)

President of the Republic of the Philippines (1986-1992)

Early Life:
Maria Corazon Sumulong Conjuangco was born on January 25, 1933 in
Paniqui, Tarlac, which is in central Luzon, the Philippines,North of Manila. Her
parents were Jose Chichioco Cojuangco and Demetria "Metring" Sumulong,
and the family were of mixed Chinese, Filipino, and Spanish descent. The
family surname is a Spanish version of the Chinese name "Koo Kuan Goo."
The Cojuangcos owned a sugar plantation covering 15,000 acres, and were
among the wealthiest families in the province. Cory was the couple's sixth
child of eight.

Education:
As a young girl, Corazon Aquino was studious and shy. She also showed a
devout commitment to the Catholic Church from an early age. Corazon went
to expensive private schools in Manila through age 13, when her parents
sent her to the United States for high school.
Corazon went first to Philadelphia's Ravenhill Academy and then the Notre
Dame Convent School in New York, graduating in 1949. As an undergraduate

at the College of Mount St. Vincent in New York City, Corazon Aquino majored
in French. She also was fluent in Tagalog, Kapampangan, and English.
After her 1953 graduation from college, Corazon moved back to Manila to
attend law school at the Far Eastern University. There, she met a young man
from one of the Philippines' other wealthy families, a fellow student named
Benigno Aquino, Jr.

Marriage and Life as a Housewife:

Corazon Aquino left law school after just one year to marry Ninoy Aquino, a
journalist with political aspirations. Ninoy soon became the youngest
governor ever elected in the Philippines, and then was elected as the
youngest member of the Senate ever in 1967. Corazon concentrated on
raising their five children: Maria Elena (b. 1955), Aurora Corazon (1957),
Benigno III "Noynoy" (1960), Victoria Elisa (1961), and Kristina Bernadette
(1971).
As Ninoy's career progressed, Corazon served as a gracious hostess and
supported him. However, she was too shy to join him on stage during his
campaign speeches, preferring to stand at the back of the crowd and watch.
In the early 1970s, money was tight, so Corazon moved the family to a
smaller home and even sold part of the land she had inherited in order to
fund his campaign.
Ninoy had become an outspoken critic of Ferdinand Marcos's regime, and
was expected to win the 1973 presidential elections, since Marcos was termlimited and could not run according to the Constitution. However, Marcos
declared martial law on September 21, 1972 and abolished the Constitution,
refusing to relinquish power. Ninoy was arrested and sentenced to death,
leaving Corazon to raise the children alone for the next seven years.

Corazon in Politics:
Corazon Aquino became actively involved with politics, as her husband,
Benigno, was a popular critic of the Marcos dictatorship in the Philippines.
Marcos imprisoned Benigno for his oppositional work, and had agreed to free

him if they left the Philippines. Benigno only agreed when he needed critical
heart surgery, which would be done in Boston.
However, Benigno decided to return to Manila to run for the presidential
election of 1984, but he was shot in the head when he got out of plane in
Manila in 1983. Corazon Aquino had hoped that the party would find
someone else to run against Marcos, so that she would not have to be
considered. She agreed to run if she had a million signatures on petitions
requesting her to run, and so she did.
Marcos, thinking that he still had the Filipino people behind him, called for a
snap election in 1986. It was then that Cory became the unified opposition's
candidate for presidency. She officially lost those elections to Marcos, but
people believed that Marcos rigged the elections, and due to his mass
corruption, he lost the support of the U.S. and the people. On February 25,
1986, both Aquino and Marcos were inaugurated as President by their
respective supporters, leading to the "People's Revolution" and the
eventually the downfall of Marcos, making Cory the 1st president of the
Republic of the Philippines and also the first woman president of the
Philippines.
Aquino was portrayed in the media as just an ordinary housewife who was
challenging a 20-year dictator for presidency, but this was never true. As she
had been tutored in politics from an early age, was college educated, was
part of a wealthy political family, and had a husband with political instinct
and ambition. She came to power as a "clean-up mom," trying to move her
country out of social and financial turmoil, and she also wanted to keep her
husband's political vision alive. She appeared shy and a silent student and
wife, but she is also seen as eventually growing into role as a leader.
Although many saw her weakness and delay, Aquino did not waiver from her
decision that the most important legacy of her presidency would be her
presidential leadership style, as she was always more concerned with
process over policy. In March 1986, she proclaimed a provisional Constitution
and soon after appointed a commission to write a new Constitution. This
document was ratified by a landslide popular vote in February 1987. She
served for one term that lasted six years as defined by the new Constitution,
as she decided not to seek re-election.
She has received many honorary degrees and she has received Woman of
the Year, Time magazine, the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award, the

United Nations Silver Medal, the Canadian International Prize for Freedom,
and the International Leadership Living Legacy Award from the Womens?
International Center.
There was however no change in the social and economic circumstances
under Aquino's government. It is important to realize that her government
was pressured by huge popular expectations, as the people prior to her had
been living under martial law for 14 years. She saw herself as a transition
president, from going to dictatorship to democracy, as she believed the
Philippines would take at least 10 years to recover after Marcos Regime. It is
also important to understand, that what could have impacted her ability to
create change was the fact that she had to survive 6 coups and no one was
loyal to her.
As far as her impact on the lives of women both generally speaking and
politically in the Philippines, Aquino accomplished a lot for women in terms of
being the first woman president of the Philippines, but she did not deal
specifically with women's issues. Many of her proclaimed policy priorities,
addressing poverty, would have had a positive impact on women, as the
majority of those impoverished are women. Also, two women ran after her
for president. Although these women did not win, the fact that they even ran,
illustrates that in some regards Corazon Aquino is partially responsible for
"breaking the glass ceiling" in the Philippines
Ultimately, Corazon Aquino should be remembered for her unwavering
commitment to democracy.

President Aquino:
On February 25, 1986, as a result of the "People Power Revolution," Corazon
Aquino became the first female president of the Philippines. She restored
democracy to the country, promulgating a new constitution, and serving until
1992.
President Aquino's tenure was not entirely smooth, however. She pledged
agrarian reform and land redistribution, but her background as a member of

the landed classes made this a difficult promise to keep. Corazon Aquino also
convinced the US to withdraw its military from remaining bases in the
Philippines - with help from Mt. Pinatubo, which erupted in June of 1991 and
buried several military installations.
Marcos supporters in the Philippines staged half a dozen coup attempts
against Corazon Aquino during her term in office, but she survived them all
in her low-key yet stubborn political style. Although her own allies urged her
to run for a second term in 1992, she adamantly refused.(The new 1987
Constitution forbade second terms, but her supporters argued that she was
elected before the constitution came in to effect, so it did not apply to her.)

Later Life:
Corazon Aquino supported her Defense Secretary, Fidel Ramos, in his
candidacy to replace her as president. Ramos won the 1992 presidential
election in a crowded field, although he was far short of a majority of the
vote.
In retirement, former President Aquino frequently spoke out on political and
social issues. She was particularly vocal in opposing later presidents'
attempts to amend the constitution to allow themselves extra terms in office.
She also worked to reduce violence and homelessness in the Philippines.
In 2007, Corazon Aquino publicly campaigned for her son Noynoy when he
ran for the Senate. In March of 2008, Aquino announced that she had been
diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Despite aggressive treatment, she passed
away on August 1, 2009, at the age of 76. She did not get to see her son
Noynoy elected president; he took power on June 30, 2010.