Photo by Airman Gerald B. Johnson [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

• FIRST woman president in Southeast Asia
• President of the Philippines from 1986-1992
• Widow of Benigno Aquino Jr., a senator who was assassinated for opposing dictator Ferdinand Marcos
• The self-proclaimed housewife came into power on the heels of Marcos being forced from power in what is now referred to as the original People Power Revolution
• After being voted into office, she quickly convened a committee to draft a new constitution
• Also overhauled the country's local government system, released hundreds of political prisoners, and restored basic rights including freedom of expression
• Maintained power despite multiple military coups and destabilization attempts by groups that thought Aquino was too tolerant of communism and ill-equipped to run the country
• After leaving office, she led protests that forced President Joseph Estrada to resign; he had been accused of corruption, but protected by his senate supporters who suppressed critical evidence

Am Imperfect Legacy

~ Although Aquino is universally regarded for her role in restoring democracy in the Philippines, many who initially supported her eventually criticized her for not enacting more change during her presidential terms. In particular were ongoing insurgencies that predated her leadership, as well as an increase in vigilante groups and military abuses.
~ She was also denounced for refusing to support the land reform movement by subdividing one of her family's estates among its tenants. A protest by the five thousand estate workers led to a deadly confrontation with police in which 14 protesters were killed, but no one was ever charged with the killings.

Bibliography: Aquino, Belinda. "Aquino, Corazon." The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History, Vol. 1, Oxford University Press, 2008, 124-125.

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The Presidential Museum and Library
Aquino Center and Museum

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