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{{Short description|President of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992}}{{pp-move-indef}}{{Use Philippine English|date=June 2021}}{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}{{Philippine name|Sumulong|Cojuangco|Aquino|ph=married}}

factoids

Paniqui>Paniqui, Tarlac, Philippines{{efnUnited States known as the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands>Philippine Islands at the time of Aquino’s birth.}}200911mf=y}}| death_place = Makati, Philippines| resting_place = Manila Memorial Park – Sucat, Parañaque, Philippines| party = PDP–Laban (1986–2009)United Nationalist Democratic Organization>UNIDO (1986–88)Ninoy Aquino1983Assassination of Ninoy Aquino>died}}| children =

• Maria Elena Aquino-Cruz
• Aurora Corazon Aquino-Abellada
• Benigno Simeon Aquino III
• Victoria Elisa Aquino-Dee
• Kristina Bernadette Aquino| father = José Cojuangco| mother =

• Cojuangco family
• Aquino family
• Josephine C. Reyes (sister)
• Jose Cojuangco Jr. (brother)
• Juan Sumulong (grandfather)
• Lorenzo Sumulong (uncle)
• Victor Sumulong (first cousin)
• Jose W. Diokno (sixth cousin twice removed){{efn|Diokno’s ancestor is Demetria Sumulong who was born in Antipolo before moving south, her common ancestor with Aquino is Francisco Sumulong (born 1695).WEB, Quiñones, Klarenz, Francisco Sumulong,www.geni.com/people/Francisco-Sumulong/6000000030469689838, 2018-12-01, 2023-03-08, WEB, Dulay, Toti, Chapter 3 : Marikina,sites.google.com/site/truelakandula/chapter-3-marikina, 2012, WEB, The Sauza-Berenguer de Marquina Official Website,familiasauza.webs.com/, March 11, 2023, March 10, 2023,web.archive.org/web/20230310170158/https://familiasauza.webs.com/, dead, }}

}}College of Mount Saint Vincent (Bachelor of Arts>BA)Far Eastern University (no degree)| occupation = Politician| profession = Activist| signature = Aquino Sig.svgcoryaquino.ph/}}| nickname = Cory}}{{Corazon C. Aquino series}}Maria Corazon ”Cory” Sumulong Cojuangco-AquinoWEB, Maria Corazon Cojuangco Aquino,nhcp.gov.ph/maria-corazon-cojuangco-aquino/, nhcp.gov.ph, National Historical Commission of the Philippines, August 22, 2018,nhcp.gov.ph/maria-corazon-cojuangco-aquino/," title="web.archive.org/web/20180822051111nhcp.gov.ph/maria-corazon-cojuangco-aquino/,">web.archive.org/web/20180822051111nhcp.gov.ph/maria-corazon-cojuangco-aquino/, August 22, 2018, live, {{post-nominals|list=CCLH}} ({{IPA-tl|kɔɾaˈsÉ”n kɔˈhwaÅ‹kÉ” aˈkino|lang}}; 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 the Mother of Democracy.WEB, Lo, Barnaby,www.cbsnews.com/news/filipinos-mourn-mother-of-democracy-cory-aquino/, Filipinos Mourn ‘Mother of Democracy’ Cory Aquino, CBS News, August 5, 2009, October 25, 2019, NEWS,www.scotsman.com/news-2-15012/filipinos-mourn-the-mother-of-democracy-1-1355068, Filipinos mourn the mother of democracy, The Scotsman, October 25, 2019, NEWS,www.smh.com.au/world/tears-for-mother-of-democracy-20090805-ea3c.html, Tears for mother of democracy, Smh.com.au, August 6, 2009, October 25, 2019, NEWS, Banggollay, Melvin,news.abs-cbn.com/feedback/08/10/09/re-cory-aquino-mother-philippine-democracy, Re: Cory Aquino, Mother of Philippine Democracy, ABS-CBN News, October 25, 2019,

Early life and education

María Corazón Sumulong Cojuangco was born on January 25, 1933, in Paniqui, Tarlac.WEB,malacanang.gov.ph/presidents/fifth-republic/corazon-aquino/, Corazon C. Aquino, malacanang.gov.ph, August 25, 2016, dead,malacanang.gov.ph/presidents/fifth-republic/corazon-aquino/," title="web.archive.org/web/20121104134523malacanang.gov.ph/presidents/fifth-republic/corazon-aquino/,">web.archive.org/web/20121104134523malacanang.gov.ph/presidents/fifth-republic/corazon-aquino/, November 4, 2012, 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, 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.WEB,www.coryaquino.ph/index.php/essential/article/4a66ceac-f098-11df-b3cf-001617d76479, Essential Cory Aquino: The Young Cory, January 25, 2017, Ninoy & Cory Aquino Foundation, Aquino spent her elementary school days at St. Scholastica’s College in Manila, where she graduated at 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 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.

Wife of Benigno Aquino Jr.

After graduating from college, she returned to 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.WEB,news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/08/01/14/throwback-how-ninoy-cory-got-engaged, Throwback: How Ninoy, Cory got engaged, ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs, August 1, 2014, August 24, 2016, 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).WEB,www.rappler.com/entertainment/37181-ninoy-children-bad-times-good-times, Tah, B. Allie, Ninoy’s children remember bad times, good times, Rappler, August 24, 2013, August 24, 2016, WEB,www.coryaquino.ph/index.php/essential/article/516835d2-f099-11df-b3cf-001617d76479, Essential Cory Aquino: Her life with Ninoy Aquino, coryaquino.com.ph, August 25, 2016, 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 the opportunity to have dinner with her husband inside the American military facility at nearby Clark Field.BOOK, Lorna Kalaw-Tirol, Public Faces, Private Lives, 2000, Anvil Publishing, Inc, Pasig, Philippines, 2–23, 971-27-0851-9, Afterwards, the Aquino family moved to a bungalow in suburban Quezon City.Throughout her life, Aquino was known to be a devout Roman Catholic.WEB,www.filipiknow.net/facts-about-cory-aquino/, 9 Interesting Facts You May Not Know About Corazon Aquino, filipiknow, September 5, 2014, August 23, 2016, Corazon Aquino was fluent in French, Japanese, Spanish, and English aside from her native Tagalog and Kapampangan.Benigno Aquino Jr., 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.MAGAZINE, Pico Iyer, Corazon Aquino,www.time.com/time/subscriber/personoftheyear/archive/stories/1986.html, Time (magazine), Time, January 5, 1987, March 26, 2008, dead,www.time.com/time/subscriber/personoftheyear/archive/stories/1986.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20071220000538www.time.com/time/subscriber/personoftheyear/archive/stories/1986.html,">web.archive.org/web/20071220000538www.time.com/time/subscriber/personoftheyear/archive/stories/1986.html, December 20, 2007, She would decline to join her husband on stage during campaign rallies, instead preferring to be in 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 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 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 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.WEB, Aquino, Corazon, Speech Upon Receipt Of The Fulbright Prize - Oct. 11, 1996,awpc.cattcenter.iastate.edu/2017/03/21/speech-upon-receipt-of-the-fulbright-prize-oct-11-1996/,web.archive.org/web/20210528113740/https://awpc.cattcenter.iastate.edu/2017/03/21/speech-upon-receipt-of-the-fulbright-prize-oct-11-1996/, dead, May 28, 2021, Iowa State University, May 28, 2021, NEWS, Aquino’s ‘Flesh-to-Flesh Campaign’, Branigin, William, The Washington Post, February 2, 1986, A1, 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 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.

1986 presidential campaign

Following her husband’s assassination in 1983, Corazon Aquino became active in various demonstrations held against 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 the nation.NEWS, Milt Freudenheim, Henry Giniger & Richard Levine, Marcos Moves Toward A Vote,www.nytimes.com/1985/11/17/weekinreview/the-world-marcos-moves-toward-a-vote.html, The New York Times, November 17, 1985, April 15, 2008, 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.NEWS, 1 Million Back Candidacy of Aquino Widow,www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-11-25-mn-1740-story.html, May 28, 2021, United Press International, Los Angeles Times, November 25, 1985, 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.NEWS, Flashback to 1985: A Cory memory,www.philstar.com/lifestyle/health-and-family/2017/08/07/1726265/flashback-1985-cory-memory, May 28, 2021, The Philippine Star, August 7, 2017, United Opposition (UNIDO) party leader Salvador Laurel 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,NEWS, Ninoy linked up with the Left to aid presidential ambition,www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/198820/news/specialreports/ninoy-networked-with-everyone-reds-included, GMA News, August 18, 2010, characterizing the election as a fight “between democracy and communism”.NEWS, Tan, Ab, Marcos: Communists at Issue,www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1986/01/06/marcos-communists-at-issue/dfb2583d-ff6d-4d47-a04b-bc0710aeb62e/, May 28, 2021, The Washington Post, January 6, 1986, Aquino refuted Marcos’ charge and stated that she would not appoint a single communist to her cabinet.NEWS, Milt Freudenheim & Richard Levine, A Marcos Charge Irks Mrs. Aquino,www.nytimes.com/1986/01/12/weekinreview/the-world-a-marcos-charge-irks-mrs-aquino.html, The New York Times, January 12, 1986, April 15, 2008, Marcos also accused Aquino of playing “political football” with the United States in regards to the continued United States military presence in the Philippines at Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base.NEWS, United Press International, Marcos Says Rival Trifles With U.S. Bases,www.nytimes.com/1985/12/31/world/around-the-world-marcos-says-rival-trifles-with-us-bases.html, The New York Times, December 31, 1985, April 15, 2008, 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.NEWS, Mydans, Seth, Aquino Adds a Bit of Swagger to Her Style,www.nytimes.com/1986/12/01/world/aquino-adds-bit-of-swagger-to-her-style.html, May 28, 2021, The New York Times, December 1, 1986, The snap election 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 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,WEB,www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1990/10/03/the-final-report-of-the-fact-finding-commission-iv-military-intervention-in-the-philippines-1986-1987/, The Final Report of the Fact-Finding Commission: IV: Military Intervention in the Philippines: 1986 – 1987 | GOVPH, October 3, 1990, September 20, 2016, October 21, 2017,www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1990/10/03/the-final-report-of-the-fact-finding-commission-iv-military-intervention-in-the-philippines-1986-1987/," title="web.archive.org/web/20171021023713www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1990/10/03/the-final-report-of-the-fact-finding-commission-iv-military-intervention-in-the-philippines-1986-1987/,">web.archive.org/web/20171021023713www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1990/10/03/the-final-report-of-the-fact-finding-commission-iv-military-intervention-in-the-philippines-1986-1987/, dead, 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.WEB,www.rappler.com/nation/84953-gringo-plot-kill-marcos-almonte-memoir, Gringo plotted to kill Marcos – Almonte, February 24, 2015, NEWS, The Manila Times, Setting the record straight on Edsa 1,manilastandardtoday.com/opinion/columns/virtual-reality-by-tony-lopez/141677/setting-the-record-straight-on-edsa-1.html, August 30, 2015, dead,manilastandardtoday.com/opinion/columns/virtual-reality-by-tony-lopez/141677/setting-the-record-straight-on-edsa-1.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20160610115431manilastandardtoday.com/opinion/columns/virtual-reality-by-tony-lopez/141677/setting-the-record-straight-on-edsa-1.html,">web.archive.org/web/20160610115431manilastandardtoday.com/opinion/columns/virtual-reality-by-tony-lopez/141677/setting-the-record-straight-on-edsa-1.html, June 10, 2016, On February 15, 1986, the Batasang Pambansa, which 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.WEB, Speech of President Aquino at the anniversary of Tagumpay ng Bayan, February 16, 2012 (English translation),www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2012/02/16/speech-of-president-aquino-at-the-anniversary-of-tagumpay-ng-bayan-february-16-2012-english-translation/, live, February 25, 2022, February 16, 2012, Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines,web.archive.org/web/20210518094855/https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2012/02/16/speech-of-president-aquino-at-the-anniversary-of-tagumpay-ng-bayan-february-16-2012-english-translation/, May 18, 2021, Aquino also called for boycotts against products and services from companies controlled or owned by individuals closely allied with Marcos. The rally 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 the election.NEWS, Filipino coup leaders tell Marcos to go,news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/22/newsid_2519000/2519155.stm, BBC, February 22, 1986, April 15, 2008, 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.

Accession as president

File:Corazon Aquino inauguration.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Aquino takes the oath of office before Chief Justice Claudio Teehankee Sr. in Club Filipino, San Juan on February 25, 1986]]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 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 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.WEB,newsinfo.inquirer.net/579772/timeline-feb-22-1986-day-one, Timeline: Feb. 22, 1986, Day One, Inquirer.net, February 22, 2014, August 26, 2016, 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 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.WEB,www.britannica.com/biography/Corazon-Aquino, Corazon Aquino {{!, Biography|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=October 24, 2017}}

Presidency (1986–1992)

(File:Cory Aquino during a ceremony honoring US Air Force.jpg|thumb|left|Aquino during a ceremony honoring the United States Air Force|alt=)Corazon Aquino’s accession to the presidency marked the end of authoritarian rule in the Philippines. Aquino 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.

Transitional government and creation of new constitution

factoids

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 the Supreme Court.WEB, Aquino, Corazon, Proclamation No. 1, s. 1986,www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1986/02/25/proclamation-no-1-s-1986/, Philippines Official Gazette, February 25, 1986, Government of the Philippines, June 11, 2021, On March 25, 1986, President Aquino issued s:Constitution of the Philippines (1973)#1986 Amendment (Proclamation No. 3 and the 1986 Provisional Constitution)|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 the period of transitional government.After the issuance of Proclamation No. 1, all 15 members of the Supreme Court submitted their resignations.WEB, A Constitutional History of the Supreme Court of the Philippines,sc.judiciary.gov.ph/387/, Supreme Court of the Philippines, June 11, 2021, 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 a de facto government but in fact and law a de jure government”, and affirmed its legitimacy.COURT, Lawyers League v. President Aquino, G.R. No. 73748, Supreme Court of the Philippines, May 22, 1986,elibrary.supremecourt.gov.ph/resolutions.php?doctype=Minute%20Resolutions&docid=a45475a11ec72b843d74959b60fd7bd645abb094dee22, 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., Bernas, p. 19On February 2, 1987, 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 the Batasang Bayan and later the Batasang Pambansa.BOOK, Joaquin G. Bernas, The Intent of the 1986 Constitution Writers, Rex Book Store, Manila, Philippines, 1995, 2–4, 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.

Legal reforms

After the ratification of the constitution, Aquino promulgated two landmark legal codes, namely, the Family Code of 1987, which reformed 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 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.

Socio-economic policies

factoids

MALAYA >FIRST1=JONATHAN FIRST2=EDUARDO DATE=2005, Anvil Publishing, |label2 = 1986|data2 = approx 56 million|header3 = Gross Domestic Product (constant 1985 prices)|label4 = 1986Philippine peso>PHP 591,423 million|label5 = 1991Philippine peso>PHP 716,522 millionWEBSITE=INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND >ACCESS-DATE=JUNE 26, 2021, |label7 = 1986|data7 = {{increase}} 3.4%|label8 = 1987|data8 = {{increase}} 4.3%|label9 = 1988|data9 = {{increase}} 6.8%|label10 = 1989|data10 = {{increase}} 6.2%|label11 = 1990|data11 = {{increase}} 3.0%|label12 = 1991|data12 = {{decrease}} -0.4%|label13 = 1992|data13 = {{increase}} 0.4%|label14 = Average yearly growth rate, 1986-92|data14 = {{increase}} 3.4%|header15 = Per capita income (constant 1985 prices)|label16 = 1986Philippine peso>PHP 10,622|label17 = 1991Philippine peso>PHP 11,250|header18 = Total exports|label19 = 1986Philippine peso>PHP 160,571 million|label20 = 1991Philippine peso>PHP 231,515 million|header21 = Exchange rates|label22 = 1986United States dollar>USD = 20.38 Philippine peso1 Philippine peso>PHP = 0.05 USD|label23 = 1991United States dollar>USD = 27.61 Philippine peso1 Philippine peso>PHP = 0.04 USD}}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 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, 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.WEB, Her Term About to End, Aquino ‘Hasn’t Made Much Difference’ to the Poor,www.nytimes.com/1992/06/08/world/her-term-about-to-end-aquino-hasn-t-made-much-difference-to-the-poor.html, February 27, 2010, DE, Sanger, June 8, 1992, The New York Times, Year of Labor Statistics{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Overall, the economy under Aquino had an average growth of 3.8% from 1986 to 1992.WEB,www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Asia-and-the-Pacific/Philippines-OVERVIEW-OF-ECONOMY.html, Philippines Overview of economy, Information about Overview of economy in Philippines, Nationsencyclopedia.com, March 13, 2010,

De-monopolization

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 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.WEB, Hays, Jeffrey, Economic History of the Philippines,factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Philippines/sub5_6g/entry-3916.html, factsanddetails.com, June 26, 2021, President Aquino pursued a market liberalization agenda to combat this problem. President Aquino particularly targeted the sugar industry and the coconut industry for de-monopolization.

Debt

File:Vice President Dan Quayle and President Corizon Aquino of the Philippines participate in the Veterans’ Day Service at Arlington National Cemetery, 10 Nov 89.jpg|thumb|Aquino with U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle participate in the Veterans’ Day Service at Arlington National CemeteryArlington National CemeteryThroughout 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 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 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 the net national debt by $5 billion within six years due to the need to infuse capital and money into the economy.NEWS, February 21, 1992, Manila Plan To Cut Debt, The New York Times,www.nytimes.com/1992/02/21/business/manila-plan-to-cut-debt.html, February 27, 2010, 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.WEB,malacanang.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/ThePresidentReport.pdf, The Aquino Management of the Presidency, malacanang.gov.ph, August 25, 2016, dead,malacanang.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/ThePresidentReport.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20160304083529malacanang.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/ThePresidentReport.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20160304083529malacanang.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/ThePresidentReport.pdf, March 4, 2016,

Agrarian reform

{{See also|Land reform in the Philippines}}(File:President Aquino at IRRI.jpg|thumb|right|Aquino holds talks with the officials from the International Rice Research Institute.)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 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 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.PH ACT,www.officialgazette.gov.ph/downloads/1988/06jun/19880610-RA-6657-CCA.pdf, Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988, Ra, 6657, June 10, 1988, October 4, 2023,web.archive.org/web/20220118071855/https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/downloads/1988/06jun/19880610-RA-6657-CCA.pdf, January 18, 2022, {{rp|at=Section 6}} The law also allowed corporate landowners to “voluntarily divest 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.{{rp|at=Section 31}} 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”.COURT, Association of Small Landowners v. Luz, 175, SCRA, 343, 386, Supreme Court of the Philippines, July 14, 1989,www.lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1989/jul1989/gr_78742_1989.html, Corazon Aquino herself was subject to 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.NEWS, Russell Arador, May 4, 2007, Life once ‘sweeter’ at Hacienda Luisita, Philippine Daily Inquirer,newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view_article.php?article_id=64019, dead, March 25, 2008,newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view_article.php?article_id=64019," title="web.archive.org/web/20081005095533newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view_article.php?article_id=64019,">web.archive.org/web/20081005095533newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view_article.php?article_id=64019, October 5, 2008, The stock redistribution scheme 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.

Coup attempts on Aquino government

{{Stubsection|date=June 2021}}From 1986 to 1990 numerous coup attempts were enacted on the Aquino administration and 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.

Mendiola massacre and cabinet infighting

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 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.WEB,www.lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1993/mar1993/gr_84607_1993.html, Supreme Court G.R. No. 84607, www.lawphil.net, August 28, 2017, The massacre resulted in several resignations from Aquino’s cabinet, including Jose W. Diokno, head of 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.“WEB, Dalisay, Jose Jr., Jose W. Diokno: The Scholar-Warrior,diokno.org/about,diokno.org/about," title="archive.today/20130414204612diokno.org/about,">archive.today/20130414204612diokno.org/about, dead, April 14, 2013, March 3, 2011, 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 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.“NEWS,manilastandardtoday.com/opinion/columns/back-channel-by-alejandro-del-rosario/140961/doy-laurel-s-letter-to-cory-aquino.html, Doy Laurel’s letter to Cory Aquino, Del Rosario, Alejandro, February 19, 2014, Manila Standard, September 24, 2016, dead,manilastandardtoday.com/opinion/columns/back-channel-by-alejandro-del-rosario/140961/doy-laurel-s-letter-to-cory-aquino.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20160927015810manilastandardtoday.com/opinion/columns/back-channel-by-alejandro-del-rosario/140961/doy-laurel-s-letter-to-cory-aquino.html,">web.archive.org/web/20160927015810manilastandardtoday.com/opinion/columns/back-channel-by-alejandro-del-rosario/140961/doy-laurel-s-letter-to-cory-aquino.html, September 27, 2016, Finance Minister Jaime Ongpin, who had successfully advocated for paying external debt incurred during Marcos’ administration, was dismissed by Aquino in September 1987 and later died in an apparent suicide in December 1987.NEWS, August 10, 1987, Philippine Debt Dispute, Reuters,www.nytimes.com/1987/08/10/business/philippine-debt-dispute.html, The New York Times, 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.NEWS,www.scmp.com/article/737701/ongpin-last-top-official-take-his-life, Ongpin last top official to take his life, Robles, Alan, February 8, 2011, South China Morning Post, Soon after the Mendiola Massacre, the Aquino administration and Congress worked to pass significant agrarian reform, which culminated in the passage of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARP).

Peace talks with Moro and communist insurgencies

{{See also|Moro conflict|Communist rebellion in the Philippines}}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 the ARMM Organic Act, which established the Moro majority areas in the Mindanao island group as an autonomous region with its own government.WEB, ARMM history and organization,www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/content/112847/armm-history-and-organization/story/, GMA News Online, August 11, 2008, GMA Network, June 27, 2021, 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), a militant splinter group from the MNLF that sought to secede from the Philippines to establish an Islamic state in Mindanao.NEWS, Conde, Carlos H., Cease-Fire Fails in the Philippines as Soldiers Clash With Rebels,www.nytimes.com/2003/02/13/world/cease-fire-fails-in-the-philippines-as-soldiers-clash-with-rebels.html, June 27, 2021, The New York Times, February 13, 2003, 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.NEWS, Whaley, Floyd, Philippines and Rebels Agree on Peace Accord to End Insurgency,www.nytimes.com/2014/01/26/world/asia/philippines-and-rebels-agree-on-peace-accord-to-end-insurgency.html, June 27, 2021, The New York Times, January 25, 2014, The establishment of 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.NEWS, Bomb caused Philippine ferry fire,news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3732356.stm, June 27, 2021, BBC News, October 11, 2004, Shortly after becoming president, Aquino ordered 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.WEB, Mapping Militant Organizations: Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army,web.stanford.edu/group/mappingmilitants/cgi-bin/groups/print_view/149,web.archive.org/web/20210120005219/https://web.stanford.edu/group/mappingmilitants/cgi-bin/groups/print_view/149, dead, January 20, 2021, stanford.edu, Stanford University, June 27, 2021, Preliminary peace talks with the CPP ended after the Mendiola Massacre on January 22, 1987, during which at least 12 farmers were killed at a protest rally.NEWS, Mydans, Seth, Troops in Manila Kill 12 in Crowd at Leftist Rally,www.nytimes.com/1987/01/23/world/troops-in-manila-kill-12-in-crowd-at-leftist-rally.html, June 27, 2021, The New York times, January 23, 1987, NEWS, de Guzman, Nicai, The Bloody Mendiola Massacre Took Place 34 Years Ago Today,www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/the-bloody-mendiola-massacre-took-place-32-years-today-a1729-20190122-lfrm2, June 27, 2021, Esquire (magazine), Esquire, January 22, 2019,

Closing of United States military bases

(File:Corazon Aquino 1992.jpg|thumb|Aquino addresses base workers at a rally at Remy Field concerning jobs for Filipino workers after the Americans withdraw from the U.S. facilities.)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.NEWS,www.nytimes.com/1991/12/28/world/philippines-orders-us-to-leave-strategic-navy-base-at-subic-bay.html, Sanger, David E., Philippines Orders the U.S. to Leave Strategic Navy Base at Subic Bay, The New York Times, December 28, 1991, August 25, 2016, The United States objected by stating that they had leased the property and that the leases were still in effect.Baker 2004 p. 123 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 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.NEWS,www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-09-11-mn-1923-story.html, 100,000 March With Aquino to Back U.S. Treaty : Philippines: ‘People power’ is used to pressure the Senate, but the crowd falls short of her expectations. A bomb disrupts rally, injures 6., September 11, 1991, Los Angeles Times, June 5, 2019, en-US, 0458-3035, The matter was still being debated when Mount Pinatubo erupted in June 1991, covering the entire area with volcanic ash. Despite attempts to continue the Subic Base, Aquino finally conceded. In December 1991, the government served notice that the U.S. had to close the base by the end of 1992.NEWS,www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-12-27-mn-909-story.html, Close Subic Base by End of ‘92, Manila Tells U.S., December 27, 1991, Los Angeles Times, June 5, 2019, en-US, 0458-3035,

Natural disasters and calamities

On December 20, 1987, the MV Doña Paz sank after a collision with the oil tanker MV Vector. The final death toll exceeded 4,300 people, and the sinking has been called the deadliest peacetime maritime disaster of the 20th century.Hooke, Norman. Maritime Casualties, 1963-1996. Lloyd’s of London Press, 1997 In the aftermath, Aquino addressed the incident as “a national tragedy of harrowing proportions”.NEWS, Barbara Crosette, December 23, 1987, It’s Gloom And Glitter For Manila, The New York Times,www.nytimes.com/1987/12/23/world/it-s-gloom-and-glitter-for-manila.html, December 24, 2008, The 1990 Luzon earthquake was a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the island of Luzon. It left an estimate of 1,621 people dead and massive property damage.In 1991, a volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo, then thought to be dormant, killed around 800 people and caused widespread long-term devastation of agricultural lands in Central Luzon.WEB, The Cataclysmic 1991 Eruption of Mount Pinatubo, Philippines,pubs.usgs.gov/fs/1997/fs113-97, March 22, 2008, United States Geological Survey, Around 20,000 residents had to be evacuated and around 10,000 people were left homeless by the event. It was the second largest terrestrial eruption of the 20th century.On November 1, 1991 Tropical Storm Thelma (also known as Typhoon Uring) caused massive flooding in Ormoc City, leaving around 5,000 dead in what was then considered to be the deadliest typhoon in Philippine history. On November 8, Aquino declared all of Leyte a disaster area.NEWS, Associated Press, The Vindicator, November 9, 1991, May 7, 2013, The Philippines: Search continues for bodies of victims, A3, Manila, Philippines,news.google.com/newspapers?id=CedYAAAAIBAJ&pg=1325%2C4260781,

Electrical power grid inadequacy

During Aquino’s presidency, electric blackouts became common in Manila. The city experienced 7–12 hours-long blackouts, which severely affected its businesses. By the departure of Aquino in June 1992, businesses in Manila and nearby provinces had lost nearly $800 million since the preceding March.Corazon Aquino’s decision to deactivate the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), which was built during the Marcos administration, contributed to further electricity crises in the 1990s, as the 620 megawatts capacity of the plant would have been enough to cover the shortfall at that time.NEWS, Drogin, Bob, Brownouts Darken Outlook for Aquino : Philippines: Power outages cripple industry and snarl traffic. Criticism has focused on the president.,www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-04-24-mn-336-story.html, June 27, 2021, Los Angeles Times, April 24, 1990, Critics of the BNPP had stated that the power plant was unsafe, and cited the millions of dollars in bribes paid to President Marcos to allow its construction. The administration had failed to provide for an adequate replacement for the plant before her term had completed, and President Corazon Aquino ended her term in 1992 with the country reeling under a severe power shortage crisis.NEWS, Brownouts Darken Outlook for Aquino: Philippines: Power outages cripple industry and snarl traffic. Criticism has focused on the president.,articles.latimes.com/1990-04-24/news/mn-336_1_power-outages, Los Angeles Times, April 24, 1990, WEB,www.philstar.com/opinion/2014/09/19/1370749/legacy-darkness, A legacy of darkness, Marichu A., Villanueva, The Philippine STAR,

Influence in 1992 presidential election

The 1987 Constitution limited the president to a single six-year term with no possibility of re-election. As the end of her presidency drew near, close advisers and friends told Aquino that since she was not inaugurated under the 1987 Constitution, her term beginning 1986, she was still ‘eligible’ to seek the presidency again in the upcoming 1992 elections, the first presidential elections held under normal and peaceful circumstances since 1965. However, Aquino firmly declined the requests for her to seek reelection, citing her strong belief that the presidency was not a lifetime position.Initially, she named Ramon V. Mitra, Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives who had been a friend of her husband, as her preferred candidate for the 1992 presidential elections. However, she later backtracked and instead supported the candidacy of General Fidel V. Ramos, who was her defense secretary and a key figure in the EDSA Revolution. Ramos had consistently stood by her government during the various coup attempts that were launched against her administration. Her sudden change of mind and withdrawal of support from Mitra drew criticism from her supporters in the liberal and social democratic sectors. Her decision also drew criticism from the Catholic Church, which questioned her support of Ramos due to his being a Protestant. General Ramos won the 1992 elections with 23.58% of the total votes in a wide-open campaign.On June 30, 1992, Corazon Aquino formally and peacefully handed over power to Fidel Ramos. On that day, Fidel V. Ramos was inaugurated as the twelfth president of the Philippines. After the inauguration, Aquino left the ceremony in a simple white Toyota Crown she had purchased, rather than the lavish government-issued Mercedes-Benz in which she and Ramos had ridden on the way to the ceremonies, to make the point that she was once again an ordinary citizen.MAGAZINE, Sandra, Burton, Time 100: Corazon Aquino,www.time.com/time/asia/asia/magazine/1999/990823/aquino1.html,www.time.com/time/asia/asia/magazine/1999/990823/aquino1.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20010128150400www.time.com/time/asia/asia/magazine/1999/990823/aquino1.html,">web.archive.org/web/20010128150400www.time.com/time/asia/asia/magazine/1999/990823/aquino1.html, dead, January 28, 2001, Time, August 23–30, 1999, April 15, 2008,

Administration and cabinet

Post-presidency (1992-2009)

File:Aquino 2003.jpg|thumb|Corazon Aquino speaks before the 2003 Ninoy Aquino Award ceremony at the U.S. Embassy in ManilaManila

Domestic

During Aquino’s retirement and stay as a private citizen, she remained active in the Philippine political scene. Aquino would voice her dissent to government actions and policies that she deemed threats to the democratic foundations of the country.In 1997, Aquino, together with Cardinal Jaime Sin, led a rally opposing President Fidel Ramos’ attempt to extend his term through his proposal to amend the 1987 Constitution’s restriction on presidential term limits. Ramos’ proposed charter change would fail, leaving term limits and the presidential system in place.During the 1998 Philippine presidential election, Aquino endorsed the candidacy of former police general and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim from the Liberal Party for president. Lim would lose to Vice President Joseph Estrada, who won by a landslide.NEWS, Lozada misses Cory Aquino in Navotas Mass,www.gmanews.tv/story/86302/Lozada-misses-Cory-Aquino-in-Navotas-Mass, GMA News.TV, March 26, 2008, April 14, 2008, In 1999, Aquino and Cardinal Jaime Sin again worked together to oppose a second plan to amend the Constitution to remove term limits, this time under President Estrada. President Estrada stated that his plan to amend the Constitution was intended to lift provisions that ‘restrict’ economic activities and investments, and Estrada denied that it was an attempt to extend his stay in office. Estrada’s proposed charter change would also fail.In 2000, Aquino joined the mounting calls for Estrada to resign from office, amid a series of corruption scandals, including strong allegations of bribery charges and gambling kickbacks. Estrada was impeached by the House of Representatives in November 2000 but acquitted by the Senate in December, which in January 2001 led to the Second EDSA Revolution, which ousted Estrada. During the Second EDSA Revolution, Aquino enthusiastically supported the ascendancy of Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to the position of president.NEWS, Mark Landler, In Philippines, The Economy As Casualty; The ped, a Credibility Repair Job,www.nytimes.com/2001/02/09/business/philippines-economy-casualty-president-ousted-credibility-repair-job.html, The New York Times, February 9, 2001, April 14, 2008, In the subsequent trial of Joseph Estrada, Estrada was acquitted of perjury but found guilty of plunder and sentenced to reclusion perpetua with the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from public office and forfeiture of ill-gotten wealth on September 12, 2007. Estrada was pardoned by President Macapagal-Arroyo on October 26, 2007.In 2005, after a series of revelations and exposes that implicated President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in rigging the 2004 presidential elections, Aquino called on Arroyo to resign in order to prevent bloodshed, violence and further political deterioration.NEWS, Carlos H. Conde,www.nytimes.com/2005/07/09/international/asia/09filip.html, Allies of Philippine President Call on Her to Step Down, The New York Times, July 9, 2005, April 14, 2008, Aquino once again led massive street-level demonstrations, this time demanding the resignation of President Arroyo.NEWS, Carlos H. Conde,query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D00E4D9143BF932A35750C0A96E9C8B63, Ex-Presidents Join Anti-Arroyo Rally, The New York Times, March 1, 2008, April 14, 2008, During the 2007 senatorial elections, Aquino actively campaigned for her only son, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, who went on to win his race. Less than a year after Corazon Aquino’s death in 2009, Benigno Aquino III won the 2010 Philippine presidential election and served as the 15th president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016.In December 2008, Corazon Aquino publicly expressed regret for her participation in the 2001 Second EDSA Revolution, which installed Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as president. She apologized to former President Joseph Estrada for the role she played in his ouster in 2001.NEWS, Aquino says sorry to Estrada; concedes EDSA II was a mistake, Leah Salaverria,newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20081223-179471/Aquino-says-sorry-to-Estrada, Philippine Daily Inquirer, December 23, 2008, December 23, 2008, dead,newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20081223-179471/Aquino-says-sorry-to-Estrada," title="web.archive.org/web/20090108152044newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20081223-179471/Aquino-says-sorry-to-Estrada,">web.archive.org/web/20090108152044newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20081223-179471/Aquino-says-sorry-to-Estrada, January 8, 2009, Aquino’s apology drew criticisms from numerous politicians.NEWS, Cory apologizes for EDSA 2, get flak,angperyodiko.net/home/?p=9, February 28, 2010, dead,angperyodiko.net/home/?p=9," title="web.archive.org/web/20110723013602angperyodiko.net/home/?p=9,">web.archive.org/web/20110723013602angperyodiko.net/home/?p=9, July 23, 2011, In June 2009, two months before her death, Aquino issued a public statement in which she strongly denounced and condemned the Arroyo administration’s plans of amending the 1987 Constitution, calling it a “shameless abuse of power”.

International

Shortly after leaving the presidency, Aquino traveled abroad, giving speeches and lectures on issues of democracy, development, human rights, and women empowerment. At the 1994 meeting of the UNESCO World Commission on Culture and Development in Manila, Aquino delivered a speech urging the unconditional release of Burmese democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi from detention. Until her death in 2009, Aquino would continue to petition for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi.Aquino was a member of the Council of Women World Leaders, an international organization of former and current female heads of state, from the group’s inception in 1996 to her death.In 1997, Aquino attended the wake and funeral of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, whom she met during the latter’s visit in Manila in 1989. In 2005, Aquino joined the international community in mourning the death of Pope John Paul II.{{Citation needed|date=February 2012}}In 2002, Aquino became the first woman named to the Board of Governors at the Asian Institute of Management, a leading graduate business school and think tank in the Asia Pacific region.WEB, Asian Institute of Management: History,www.aim.edu/aboutaim/history.asp,www.aim.edu/aboutaim/history.asp," title="web.archive.org/web/20080211114310www.aim.edu/aboutaim/history.asp,">web.archive.org/web/20080211114310www.aim.edu/aboutaim/history.asp, February 11, 2008, Asian Institute of Management, April 15, 2008, dead, She served on the Board until 2006.WEB, Asian Institute of Management: News and Announcements,www.aim.edu/home/announcementc.asp?id=727,www.aim.edu/home/announcementc.asp?id=727," title="web.archive.org/web/20080124071707www.aim.edu/home/announcementc.asp?id=727,">web.archive.org/web/20080124071707www.aim.edu/home/announcementc.asp?id=727, January 24, 2008, Asian Institute of Management, April 15, 2008, dead,

Charitable and social initiatives

After her term as president, Aquino was involved in several charitable activities and socio-economic initiatives. From 1992 until her death, Aquino was chairperson of the Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Foundation, which she set up in her husband’s honor after his assassination in 1983. Aquino supported the Gawad Kalinga social housing project for the poor and homeless. In 2007, Aquino helped establish the PinoyME Foundation, a non-profit organization that aims to provide microfinancing programs and projects for the poor. Aquino also painted, and would occasionally give away her paintings to friends and family or auction her paintings and donate the proceeds to charity. She never sold her art for her own profit.NEWS,www.rappler.com/life-and-style/arts-and-culture/art/196833-remembering-corazon-cory-aquino-artist, Remembering Corazon Aquino, the artist, Radovan, Jill Tan, Rappler, February 25, 2018, February 26, 2018,

Illness and death

On March 24, 2008, Aquino’s family announced that the former president had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Upon her being earlier informed by her doctors that she had only three months to live,NEWS, Maila Ager, Aquino blood pressure fluctuating – family,newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090728-217645/Aquino-blood-pressure-fluctuating--family, Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 28, 2009, July 28, 2009, dead,newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090728-217645/Aquino-blood-pressure-fluctuating--family," title="web.archive.org/web/20090729212054newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090728-217645/Aquino-blood-pressure-fluctuating--family,">web.archive.org/web/20090729212054newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090728-217645/Aquino-blood-pressure-fluctuating--family, July 29, 2009, she pursued medical treatment and chemotherapy. A series of healing Masses for Aquino, who was a devout Catholic, were held throughout the country for her recovery. In a public statement during one healing Mass on May 13, 2008, Aquino said that her blood tests indicated that she was responding well to treatment, although her hair and appetite loss were apparent.NEWS, Abigail Kwok, Aquino: ‘My body is responding positively to the treatment’,newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080513-136351/Aquino-My-body-is-responding-positively-to-the-treatment, Philippine Daily Inquirer, May 13, 2008, May 13, 2008, By July 2009, Aquino was reported to be suffering from loss of appetite and in very serious condition. At that time she was confined to Makati Medical Center.NEWS, Fe Zamora, Prayers sought for ailing Cory Aquino; Friend says ex-leader in ‘serious’ condition,newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090701-213331/Prayers-sought-for-ailing-Cory-Aquino, Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 1, 2009, July 1, 2009, dead,newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090701-213331/Prayers-sought-for-ailing-Cory-Aquino," title="web.archive.org/web/20090704055050newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090701-213331/Prayers-sought-for-ailing-Cory-Aquino,">web.archive.org/web/20090704055050newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090701-213331/Prayers-sought-for-ailing-Cory-Aquino, July 4, 2009, It was later announced that Aquino and her family had decided to stop chemotherapy and other medical interventions for her.NEWS, No more chemotherapy for Cory, says close family friend, GMA News.TV,www.gmanews.tv/story/166389/No-more-chemotherapy-for-Cory-says-close-family-friend, July 2, 2009, July 2, 2009, NEWS, Agence France-Presse, No more treatment for Aquino—spokeswoman,newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090702-213497/No-more-treatment-for-Aquinospokeswoman, Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 2, 2009, July 2, 2009, dead,newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090702-213497/No-more-treatment-for-Aquinospokeswoman," title="web.archive.org/web/20090704063118newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090702-213497/No-more-treatment-for-Aquinospokeswoman,">web.archive.org/web/20090704063118newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090702-213497/No-more-treatment-for-Aquinospokeswoman, July 4, 2009, Aquino died in the Makati Medical Center at 3:18 a.m. on August 1, 2009, due to cardiorespiratory arrest at the age of 76.NEWS,newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090801-218235/Cory-Aquino-dies, Cory Aquino dies, Ager, Maila, August 1, 2009, Inquirer.net, July 31, 2009,

Wake and funeral

(File:2724Manila Memorial Park Sucat Parañaque City 28.jpg|thumb|150px|left|The graves of Corazon and Ninoy Aquino photographed in October 2017)File:Line at the Corazon Aquino wake at the Manila Cathedral.jpg|thumb|Queue for Aquino’s wake in front of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila campus, which had opened its facilities for the mourners.NEWS, PLM opens facilities for Cory supporters,www.gmanews.tv/story/168980/PLM-opens-facilities-for-Cory-supporters, GMANews.tv, August 4, 2009, August 5, 2009, The cross topping the dome of Manila CathedralManila CathedralFile:Cory aquino wiki.JPG|thumb|right|250px|The grave of Corazon and Ninoy Aquino photographed on August 8, 2009, a week after her death. Corazon Aquino shares a gravestone with her husband Ninoy Aquino at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque, Philippines. Their son, Benigno III, was later interred beside their graves upon his death in June 2021.]]On the day of Aquino’s death, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo announced a 10-day mourning period for the former president and issued Administrative Order No. 269 detailing the necessary arrangements for a state funeral.NEWS, Palace declares week of mourning on the passing of Cory,www.gmanews.tv/story/168753/Palace-declares-week-of-mourning-on-passing-of-Cory, GMANews.tv, August 1, 2009, August 1, 2009, Arroyo was on a state visit to the United States at the time of Aquino’s death and returned to the Philippines on August 5, cutting her visit short to pay her last respects to Aquino.NEWS,newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090805-218816/Arroyo-pays-last-respects-to-Aquino, Arroyo pays last respects to Aquino, Veronica Uy, Kristine L. Alave, August 5, 2009, Inquirer.net, August 5, 2009, dead,newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090805-218816/Arroyo-pays-last-respects-to-Aquino," title="web.archive.org/web/20090819113117newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090805-218816/Arroyo-pays-last-respects-to-Aquino,">web.archive.org/web/20090819113117newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090805-218816/Arroyo-pays-last-respects-to-Aquino, August 19, 2009, NEWS, Arroyo cuts short US trip, sets 5 August holiday for Cory,www.gmanews.tv/story/168833/Arroyo-cuts-short-US-trip-sets-August-5-holiday-for-Cory, GMAnews.tv, August 2, 2009, August 2, 2009, Aquino’s children declined Arroyo’s offer of a state funeral for their mother.WEB, Noel Orsal & Paul Mata,www.pep.ph/news/22688/Kris-Aquino-explains-why-family-chose-not-to-have-state-funeral-for-former-President-Corazon-Aquino, Kris Aquino explains why family chose not to have state funeral for former President Corazon Aquino, Pep.ph, March 13, 2010, All churches in the Philippines celebrated requiem masses simultaneously throughout the country and all government offices flew the Philippine flag at half-mast. Hours after her death, Aquino’s body lay in repose for public viewing at the La Salle Green Hills campus in Mandaluyong. On August 3, 2009, Aquino’s body was transferred from La Salle Greenhills to the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros, during which hundreds of thousands of Filipinos lined the streets to view and escort the former leader’s body. On the way to the cathedral, Aquino’s funeral cortege passed along Ayala Avenue in Makati, stopping in front of the monument to her husband Ninoy, where throngs of mourners gathered and sang the patriotic protest anthem ”Bayan Ko{{-“}}.WEB,abs-cbnnews.com/nation/08/03/09/120000-show-cory, 120,000 Show up for Cory, Abs-cbnnews.com, March 13, 2010, Aquino’s casket was brought inside the cathedral by mid-afternoon that day. Following her death, all Roman Catholic dioceses in the country held Requiem Masses.NEWS, Churches start requiem Masses for Cory Aquino,www.gmanews.tv/story/168757/Churches-start-requiem-Masses-for-Cory-Aquino, GMANews.tv, August 1, 2009, August 1, 2009, On August 4, 2009, Bongbong Marcos and Imee Marcos, two prominent children of late former President Ferdinand Marcos, paid their last respects to Aquino in spite of the two families’ longstanding feud. The Marcos siblings were received by Aquino’s daughters María Elena, Aurora Corazon, and Victoria Elisa.NEWS, Marcos children pay last respects to Aquino,newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090804-218722/Marcos-children-pay-last-respects-to-Aquino, Inquirer.net, August 4, 2009, August 4, 2009, dead,newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090804-218722/Marcos-children-pay-last-respects-to-Aquino," title="web.archive.org/web/20090805201342newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090804-218722/Marcos-children-pay-last-respects-to-Aquino,">web.archive.org/web/20090805201342newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090804-218722/Marcos-children-pay-last-respects-to-Aquino, August 5, 2009, A final Requiem Mass was held on the morning of August 5, 2009, with Archbishop of Manila Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales, Bishop of Balanga Socrates B. Villegas, and other high-ranking clergymen concelebrating. Aquino’s daughter Kris spoke on behalf of her family towards the end of the Mass. Aquino’s flag-draped casket was escorted from the cathedral to Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque, where she was interred beside her husband in her family mausoleum. Aquino’s funeral procession took more than eight hours to reach the burial site, as tens of thousands of civilians lined the route to pay their respects. Philippine Air Force UH-1 helicopters showered the procession with yellow confetti and ships docked at Manila’s harbor blared their sirens to salute the late president.

Reaction

Both local and international leaders showed respect for Aquino’s achievements in the process of democratization in the Philippines.

National reaction

Various politicians across the political spectrum expressed their grief and praise for the former Philippine leader. President Arroyo, once an ally of Aquino, remembered the sacrifices she made for the country and called her a “national treasure”.NEWS,www.inquirer.net/specialreports/coryaquino/view.php?db=1&article=20090801-218238, Arroyo orders 10 days of mourning, Cabacungan, Gil Jr., August 1, 2009, Inquirer.net, August 2, 2009, dead,www.inquirer.net/specialreports/coryaquino/view.php?db=1&article=20090801-218238," title="web.archive.org/web/20090810212450www.inquirer.net/specialreports/coryaquino/view.php?db=1&article=20090801-218238,">web.archive.org/web/20090810212450www.inquirer.net/specialreports/coryaquino/view.php?db=1&article=20090801-218238, August 10, 2009, Former President Estrada said that the country had lost its mother and guiding voice with her sudden death. He also described Aquino as the “Philippines’ most loved woman”.NEWS, Estrada: Aquino RP’s ‘most loved’ woman,newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090726-217311/Estrada-Aquino-RPs-most-loved-woman, Inquirer.net, August 3, 2009, August 3, 2009, dead,newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090726-217311/Estrada-Aquino-RPs-most-loved-woman," title="web.archive.org/web/20090729122752newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090726-217311/Estrada-Aquino-RPs-most-loved-woman,">web.archive.org/web/20090729122752newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090726-217311/Estrada-Aquino-RPs-most-loved-woman, July 29, 2009, Although they were at one time political foes, Aquino and Estrada had reconciled and joined forces in opposing President Arroyo.NEWS, Nation lost ‘mother, guiding voice’,newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090801-218244/Nation-lost-mother-guiding-voice, Inquirer.net, August 1, 2009, August 1, 2009, dead,newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090801-218244/Nation-lost-mother-guiding-voice," title="web.archive.org/web/20090802013601newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090801-218244/Nation-lost-mother-guiding-voice,">web.archive.org/web/20090802013601newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090801-218244/Nation-lost-mother-guiding-voice, August 2, 2009, Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison joined in mourning Aquino’s death, saying his relationship with her was “exceptional”.NEWS, Galicia, Loui, Joma, Cory had ‘exceptional’ relationship,news.abs-cbn.com/pinoy-migration/08/03/09/joma-cory-had-exceptional-relationship, 25 July 2023, ABS-CBN News, August 3, 2009,web.archive.org/web/20201101005745/https://news.abs-cbn.com/pinoy-migration/08/03/09/joma-cory-had-exceptional-relationship, November 1, 2020, Former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who had been Aquino’s defense minister and later a fierce critic of Aquino, asked the public to pray for her eternal repose. Although former Aquino interior minister and Senate minority floor leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. revealed that he had “mixed feelings” about Aquino’s death, he also said that the country “shall be forever indebted to Cory for rallying the nation behind the campaign to topple dictatorial rule and restore democracy”.NEWS, Senators remember Cory’s greatness,www.gmanews.tv/story/168760/Senators-remember-Corys-greatness, GMANews.tv, August 1, 2009, August 1, 2009, Filipino citizens throughout the country wore either yellow shirts or held masses to pay tribute to Aquino. Yellow ribbons, which were a symbol of support for Aquino after the 1986 election and during the People Power Revolution, were tied along major national roads as a sign of solidarity and support for Aquino and her grieving family. On popular social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, Filipinos posted yellow ribbons on their accounts as tribute. Following her death, Filipino Catholics called on the Church to have Aquino canonized and declared as a saint. Days after her funeral, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) announced that it supported calls to put the former president on the 500-Peso banknote alongside Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., her deceased husband. The bill had previously featured a portrait of only Benigno Aquino Jr. since 1987.NEWS, BSP backs adding Cory image to P500 bill,business.inquirer.net/money/breakingnews/view/20090806-219048/BSP-backs-adding-Cory-image-to-P500-bill, Philippine Daily Inquirer, August 6, 2009, August 6, 2009, dead,business.inquirer.net/money/breakingnews/view/20090806-219048/BSP-backs-adding-Cory-image-to-P500-bill," title="web.archive.org/web/20090808203647business.inquirer.net/money/breakingnews/view/20090806-219048/BSP-backs-adding-Cory-image-to-P500-bill,">web.archive.org/web/20090808203647business.inquirer.net/money/breakingnews/view/20090806-219048/BSP-backs-adding-Cory-image-to-P500-bill, August 8, 2009,

International reaction

Messages of sympathy were sent by various national heads of state and international leaders.Pope Benedict XVI, in his letter to Archbishop Rosales, recalled Aquino’s “courageous commitment to the freedom of the Filipino people, her firm rejection of violence and intolerance” and called her a woman of courage and faith.U.S. President Barack Obama, through White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, said that “her courage, determination, and moral leadership are an inspiration to us all and exemplify the best in the Filipino nation”. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed sadness over the death of Aquino, to whom she had sent a personal letter of best wishes for recovery while she was still in hospital in July 2009. Clinton said that Aquino was “admired by the world for her extraordinary courage” in leading the fight against dictatorship.NEWS, World mourns Aquino’s death,newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090801-218251/World-mourns-Aquinos-death, Inquirer.net, August 1, 2009, August 1, 2009, dead,newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090801-218251/World-mourns-Aquinos-death," title="web.archive.org/web/20090804033534newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090801-218251/World-mourns-Aquinos-death,">web.archive.org/web/20090804033534newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090801-218251/World-mourns-Aquinos-death, August 4, 2009, South African President Jacob Zuma called Aquino “a great leader who set a shining example of peaceful transition to democracy in her country”.NEWS, Aquino mourned at wake by thousands of Filipinos,www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hgwQ8MfOS2fuOym9WcK126G9-UQgD99QM71O0, Gomez, Jim, Associated Press, August 4, 2009, August 1, 2009,www.webcitation.org/5imI9aEUA?url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hgwQ8MfOS2fuOym9WcK126G9-UQgD99QM71O0, August 4, 2009, dead, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, through the British Ambassador in Manila, sent a message to the Filipino people which read: “I am saddened to hear of the death of Corazon ‘Cory’ Aquino the former president of the Republic of the Philippines”. She also added, “I send my sincere condolences to her family and to the people of the Philippines. Signed, Elizabeth R”.NEWS,news.abs-cbn.com/business/08/06/09/british-queen-saddened-death-rps-true-queen, British Queen saddened with death of RP’s ‘true queen’, August 6, 2008, ABS-CBN News, December 20, 2009, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev stated in a telegram to President Arroyo that “the name of Corazon Aquino is associated with a period of profound reforms and the democratic transformation of Filipino society”. Medvedev also lauded Aquino’s sympathy to Russian people and her contribution to the improvement of Russian-Filipino relations.NEWS,www.kremlin.ru/eng/text/news/2009/08/220411.shtml, Dmitry Medvedev expressed his condolences to President of the Philippines Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo following the passing of former President of the Republic Corazon Aquino., August 1, 2009, Presidential Press and Information Office, August 2, 2009, dead,www.kremlin.ru/eng/text/news/2009/08/220411.shtml," title="web.archive.org/web/20090807055946www.kremlin.ru/eng/text/news/2009/08/220411.shtml,">web.archive.org/web/20090807055946www.kremlin.ru/eng/text/news/2009/08/220411.shtml, August 7, 2009, Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta and Wan Azizah, wife of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, came to the Philippines to express their sympathies and attend Aquino’s funeral.Soon after her 2010 release from her two-decade prison sentence, Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar publicly cited Aquino as one of her inspirations. She also expressed her good wishes for Aquino’s son, then-incumbent president of the Philippines Benigno S. Aquino III.

In popular culture

In 2008, a musical play about Aquino entitled Cory, the Musical was staged at the Meralco Theater. It was written and directed by Nestor Torre Jr. and starred Isay Alvarez as Aquino. The musical featured a libretto of 19 original songs composed by Lourdes Pimentel, wife of Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr.NEWS, Musical on Cory Aquino to be staged at Meralco Theater,showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20080620-143874/Musical-on-Cory-Aquino-to-be-staged-at-Meralco-Theater, June 20, 2008, June 29, 2008, dead,showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20080620-143874/Musical-on-Cory-Aquino-to-be-staged-at-Meralco-Theater," title="archive.today/20081005103023showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20080620-143874/Musical-on-Cory-Aquino-to-be-staged-at-Meralco-Theater,">archive.today/20081005103023showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20080620-143874/Musical-on-Cory-Aquino-to-be-staged-at-Meralco-Theater, October 5, 2008, WEB,www.gmanews.tv/story/121033/Bing-Pimentel-writes-musical-play-for-Cory, Bing Pimentel writes musical play for Cory, September 17, 2008, Gmanews.tv, March 13, 2010, WEB,www.abs-cbnnews.com/entertainment/09/16/08/coming-october-cory-musical, Coming this October: ‘Cory’ the Musical, Abs-cbnnews.com, September 16, 2008, March 13, 2010,

Legacy and honors

File:Monumentsjf2.JPG|thumb|Cory Aquino memorial at General Tinio, Nueva EcijaGeneral Tinio, Nueva EcijaFile:BantayogWall20181115Alternativity-2009.jpg|thumb|Detail of the Wall of Remembrance at the Bantayog ng mga BayaniBantayog ng mga BayaniFile:Corazon Aquino historical marker in Tarlac City.jpg|thumb|Corazon Aquino historical marker in Tarlac City issued by the NHI in 2010]]After her peaceful accession to the presidency and the ousting of President Marcos, Aquino was named Time magazine’s Woman of the Year in 1986.MAGAZINE, Ayer, Pico, January 5, 1987, Woman of the Year: President Corazon Aquino,time.com/vault/issue/1987-01-05/page/5/, Time,web.archive.org/web/20210405142631/https://time.com/vault/issue/1987-01-05/page/5/, April 5, 2021, April 5, 2021, In August 1999, Aquino was chosen by Time as one of the 20 Most Influential Asians of the 20th century.MAGAZINE, Nisid Hajari, Asians of the Century,www.time.com/time/asia/asia/magazine/1999/990823/cover1.html,www.time.com/time/asia/asia/magazine/1999/990823/cover1.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20010128155400www.time.com/time/asia/asia/magazine/1999/990823/cover1.html,">web.archive.org/web/20010128155400www.time.com/time/asia/asia/magazine/1999/990823/cover1.html, dead, January 28, 2001, Time, August 23–30, 1999, April 15, 2008, Time also cited her as one of 65 great Asian Heroes in November 2006.MAGAZINE, Sheila Coronel, 60 Years of Asian Heroes: Corazon Aquino,www.time.com/time/asia/2006/heroes/nb_aquino.html,www.time.com/time/asia/2006/heroes/nb_aquino.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20061127183343www.time.com/time/asia/2006/heroes/nb_aquino.html,">web.archive.org/web/20061127183343www.time.com/time/asia/2006/heroes/nb_aquino.html, dead, November 27, 2006, Time, April 15, 2008, November 13, 2006, In 1994, Aquino was cited as one of 100 Women Who Shaped World History in a reference book written by Gail Meyer Rolka.WEB, The 100 Most Influential Women of All Time: A Ranking Past and Present,www.adherents.com/people/100_women.html,www.adherents.com/people/100_women.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20051119104714www.adherents.com/people/100_women.html,">web.archive.org/web/20051119104714www.adherents.com/people/100_women.html, usurped, November 19, 2005, Adherents.com, April 15, 2008, In 1996, she received the J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding from the Fulbright Association.WEB, Former Philippine President Corazon C. Aquino Receives 1996 J. William Fulbright Prize For International Understanding,www.fulbrightalumni.org/olc/pub/FBA/fulbright_prize/aquino_pr.html, Fulbright Association, April 15, 2008, In 1998, she was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in recognition of her role in peaceful revolution to attain democracy.WEB, Aquino, Corazon Cojuangco,www.rmaward.asia/awardees/aquino-corazon-cojuangco/, Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, April 5, 2021, Since her death in 2009, the legacy of Corazon Aquino has prompted various namings of public landmarks and creations of memorials. Among these are as follows:

• On November 30, 2009, Aquino’s name was enshrined at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani, a monument dedicated to individuals who fought for the restoration of Philippine democracy and opposed the Marcos dictatorship. Her husband Ninoy was among the first to be enshrined at the monument’s Wall of Remembrance.
• On August 1, 2010, the first anniversary of her death, a 200 ft by 250 ft photo mosaic of Aquino was unveiled near the Quirino Grandstand at the Luneta Park in the presence of her son, President Benigno Aquino III, and her supporters.WEB,www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/197469/news/nation/despite-rains-noynoy-leads-unfurling-of-giant-photo-mosaic-for-cory, Merueñas, Mark, Despite rains, Noynoy leads unfurling of giant photo mosaic for Cory, GMA News, February 8, 2010, August 25, 2016, It was submitted to Guinness World Records to be certified as the largest photo mosaic in the world, and the record was later certified by the World Record Academy (which is not affiliated with Guinness).NEWS, Cory mosaic sets world record,news.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/11/04/10/cory-mosaic-sets-world-record, June 13, 2021, ABS-CBN News, November 4, 2010,
• On October 9, 2010, Manila Mayor Alfredo S. Lim inaugurated a public market in Baseco, Port Area known as the President Corazon C. Aquino Public Market.{{citation|url=|title=New public market named after late President Cory Aquino inaugurated in Baseco Compound |date=October 9, 2010 |access-date=}}
• On December 16, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines) announced the release of newly designed 500-peso banknotes that feature both Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and Corazon Aquino.WEB,www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/208501/money/cory-ninoy-together-again-on-new-500-peso-bill, Sisante, Jam, Cory, Ninoy together again on new 500-peso bill, GMA News, December 16, 2010, August 25, 2016, The previous design featured only Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and had been in circulation since 1987.
• On February 13, 2013, the Corazon Aquino Democratic Space was launched at the De La Salle University, alongside the formal inauguration of the new Henry Sy, Sr. Hall.NEWS,thelasallian.com/2013/02/15/president-aquino-attends-donors-night-and-cory-aquino-democratic-space-launch-at-hssc/, President Aquino attends Donor’s Night and Cory Aquino Democratic Space launch at HSSH, February 15, 2013, The LaSallian, Carina, Cruz,
• On July 28, 2014, the Republic Act No. 10663, which named a circumferential road in Iloilo City to President Corazon C. Aquino Avenue, was signed into law by President Benigno Aquino III.PH ACT, An Act Naming As the “President Corazon C. Aquino Avenue” the Circumferential Road Which Commences at the Junction of the Iloilo-Dumangas Coastal Road in Balabago, Jaro District, Iloilo City, Then Follows a General Westward Direction Along the Floodway’s South Bank Towards Buhang, Jaro; Tacas, Jaro and Ungka Ii, Pavia, Then Traverses Southwards to the Mandurriao District, Iloilo City-Pavia-San Miguel Tri-Border, and Ends at the Iloilo-Antique Road, Near the Center of Arevalo District, Iloilo City, RA, 10663, July 28, 2014,www.officialgazette.gov.ph/downloads/2015/07jul/20150703-RA-10663-BSA.pdf,
• In 2015, the new Corazon C. Aquino Hospital in Barangay Biasong, Dipolog was opened to the public.
• On December 10, 2015, the Republic Act No. 10716, which renamed Batasan Hills High School (BHES) into “President Corazon C. Aquino Elementary School” (PCCAES) in Batasan Hills, Quezon City, was signed into law by President Benigno Aquino III.PH ACT, An Act Changing the Name of Batasan Hills National High School in Barangay Batasan Hills, City of Quezon, Metro Manila to Corazon C. Aquino National High School,www.officialgazette.gov.ph/downloads/2015/12dec/20151210-RA-10716-BSA.pdf, RA, 10716, December 10, 2015, October 4, 2023,
• On June 29, 2018, the Republic Act No. 11045, which renamed the Kay Tikling-Antipolo-Teresa-Morong National Road to Corazon C. Aquino Avenue, was signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte. Corazon C. Aquino Avenue is a road traversing from Taytay to Morong in Rizal (including the segment of Ortigas Avenue Extension from Taytay to Antipolo).PH ACT, An Act Renaming the Kay Tikling-Antipolo-Teresa-Morong National Road in the Province of Rizal, Traversing Through Barangay Dolores in the Municipality of Taytay up to Barangay Maybancal in the Municipality of Morong, as Corazon C. Aquino Avenue, RA, 11045, June 29, 2018,www.officialgazette.gov.ph/downloads/2018/06jun/20180629-RA-11045-RRD.pdf, October 4, 2023,

In 2018, she was recognized by the Human Rights Victims Claims Board as a motu proprio human rights violations victim of the Ferdinand Marcos martial law era.WEB, Motu Proprio -,hrvvmemcom.gov.ph/roll-of-victims/roll-of-victims-motu-propio/, 2022-12-15, Human Rights Violations Victims’ Memorial Commission, en-US,

Awards and achievements

{{more citations needed section|date=October 2023}}

Domestic honors{|

60px)|Philippine Legion of Honor (Chief Commander)60px)|Grand Collar of the Order of SikatunaArgentina)“>

Foreign honors{|60px)|Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator General San Martín (Argentina)

60px)Ordre national du Mérite>National Order of Merit (France)60px)Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, 1st class (Italy)HTTP://WWW.QUIRINALE.IT/ELEMENTI/DETTAGLIOONORIFICENZE.ASPX?DECORATO=14729EDITOR=QUIRINALE.IT, 22 May 2014, 60px)Order of the Chrysanthemum (Japan)HTTP://WWW.GOV.PH/FEATURED/FILIPINO-RECIPIENTS-OF-JAPANESE-DECORATIONS-AND-JAPANESE-RECIPIENTS-OF-PHILIPPINE-DECORATIONS/ ACCESSDATE=29 JUNE 2023 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20161013003612/HTTP://WWW.GOV.PH/FEATURED/FILIPINO-RECIPIENTS-OF-JAPANESE-DECORATIONS-AND-JAPANESE-RECIPIENTS-OF-PHILIPPINE-DECORATIONS/, dead, 60px)Nishan-e-Pakistan>Order of Pakistan (Pakistan)60px)|Knight Grand Order of Order of the White Elephant (Thailand) (declined)

Recognition

• 1986 Time Woman of the Year
• 1986 Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award
• 1986 United Nations Silver Medal
• 1986 Canadian International Prize for Freedom
• 1986 International Democracy Award from the International Association of Political Consultants
• 1987 Prize For Freedom Award from Liberal International
• 1993 Special Peace Award from the Aurora Aragon Quezon Peace Awards Foundation and Concerned Women of the Philippines
• 1995 Path to Peace Award
• 1996 J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding from the U.S. Department of State
• 1998 Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding
• 1998 Pearl S. Buck Award
• 1999 One of Time magazine’s 20 Most Influential Asians of the 20th Century
• 2001 World Citizenship Award
• 2005 David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Awards
• 2005 One of the World’s Elite Women Who Make a Difference by the International Women’s Forum Hall of Fame
• 2006 One of Time magazine’s 65 Asian Heroes
• 2008 One of A Different View’s 15 Champions of World Democracy
• EWC Asia Pacific Community Building Award
• Women’s International Center International Leadership Living Legacy Award
• Martin Luther King Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize
• United Nations Development Fund for Women Noel Foundation Life Award

Honorary doctorates

• Doctor of International Relations, honoris causa, from:
  • Boston University in Boston
  • Eastern University in St. David, Pennsylvania
  • Fordham University in New York
  • Waseda University in Tokyo
• Doctor of Civil Law, honoris causa, from:
  • Far Eastern University (59th Commencement Exercises, March 1987)
• Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from:
  • University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City
  • University of Santo Tomas in Manila
  • University of Hong Kong in Hong Kong
• Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, from:
  • Ateneo de Manila University
  • College of Mount Saint Vincent in New York
  • Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan in Cagayan de Oro
• Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa, from:
  • Bicol University (Posthumous) in Legazpi
  • San Beda College in Manila
  • Seattle University
  • Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts
  • University of Oregon
• Doctor of Public Administration, honoris causa, from:
  • Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (University of the City of Manila)

See also

• List of Filipino Nobel laureates and nominees

Notes

{{notelist}}

References

{{reflist}}

Bibliography

• BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=sIkEzgEACAAJ, Aquino, Cory, To Love Another Day: The Memoirs of Cory Aquino, Independently published, 2020, 979-8677358920,
• BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=JoKXL38vGsUC, Baker, Anni P., American Soldiers Overseas: The Global Military Presence, Greenwood Publishing Group, London, 2004, 0275973549,
• BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=JHDaAAAAMAAJ, Bernas, Joaquin G., Joaquin G. Bernas, The Intent of the 1986 Constitution Writers, Rex Bookstore, Manila, 1995, 9789712319341,
• BOOK,archive.org/details/coryprofileofpre00cris/, Crisostomo, Isabelo T., Cory, Profile of a President: The Historic Rise to Power of Corazon., Branden Books, Philippines, 1987, 9780828319133, Internet Archive, registration,
• BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=cIgTAAAAYAAJ, Hooke, Norman, Maritime Casualties, 1963-1996, LLP, Virginia, 1997, 9781859781104,
• BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=RneYPgAACAAJ, Penson-Juico, Margie, Cory: An Intimate Portrait, Anvil Publishing, Inc., 2009, 978-9712721823,
• BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=4zP-cQAACAAJ, Penson-Juico, Margie, Cory: An Intimate Portrait II, Anvil Publishing, Inc., 2010, 978-9712723711,
• BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=JHDaAAAAMAAJ, Kalaw-Tirol, Lorna, Asia’s New Crisis: Renewal Through Total Ethical Management, John Wiley & Sons, Wiley, United States, 2004, 9780470821299,
• BOOK, Richter, Frank-Jürgen, Frank-Jürgen Richter, Public Faces, Private Lives, Policy Press, Germany, 2014, 9781447316374,
• BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=RWA5BAAAQBAJ, Skard, Torild, Public Faces, Private Lives, Policy Press, Great Britain, 2014, 9781447316374,

External links

{{wikisource author}}{{Commons category|Corazon Aquino}}

• Official website of Corazon Aquino – maintained by the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation
• www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,963185,00.html" title="web.archive.org/web/20071104122404www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,963185,00.html">Time Woman of the Year: Corazon “Cory” Aquino
• {{YouTube|WX9ysynaIq0|Aquino’s historic speech before the U.S. Congress }}
• New York Times obituary
• www.bayangmagiliw.info/pangulong-cory-aquino-sa-time-magazine/" title="web.archive.org/web/20091222045537www.bayangmagiliw.info/pangulong-cory-aquino-sa-time-magazine/">President Aquino in Time magazine’s year ender
• World Socialist Web Site obituary: part one and part two
• {{C-SPAN|10581}}

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