Corazón Aquino 1933–
Former President of the Philippines
In 1986, Filipinos cheered as a new president was sworn into office. After 14 years of military dictatorship, they finally had a democratically elected leader. The popular new president was a woman from Manila named Corazón Aquino.
Although she came from a political family, Aquino worked at home and raised five children while her husband, Benigno Aquino, had a career in politics. He was an outspoken opponent of dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
In 1983, Benigno Aquino was assassinated. Filipinos rallied around his widow, Corazón Aquino. They persuaded her to run against Marcos in an election in 1986, and they overwhelmingly voted her into office. Marcos tried to claim victory, but the military supported Aquino. On the day she was inaugurated, Marcos fled the country.
In office, Aquino brought back democratic government. She oversaw a new constitution and elections to a new Congress. She freed prisoners who had been jailed for their political beliefs. Aquino retired after one term as president, but she continues to work to spread democracy to other countries in Asia.
Critical Thinking
In what way was Aquino important to the history of the Philippines?