After leaving office, Aquino was the subject of legal actions over his role in theMamasapano clash and for approval of a controversial budget project; he was later acquitted of all charges filed against him regarding the Mamasapano incident. Aquino died from diabetic kidney disease in 2021, aged 61.
In September 1972, his father, a senator and prominent opposition leader to PresidentFerdinand Marcos, was arrested for subversion.[13] In August 1973, Aquino's father was brought before a military tribunal inFort Bonifacio.[13]
In 1980, after a series of heart attacks, Aquino's father was allowed to seek medical treatment in the United States, where Aquino's family began a period of self-exile inBoston. After graduating, Aquino joined his family there in 1981.[14]
In 1983, after three years in exile in the United States, Aquino's family returned to thePhilippines, shortly after theassassination of his father on August 21, 1983.[10] He had a short tenure as a member of thePhilippine Business for Social Progress, working as an assistant of the executive director. He later joined Mondragon Industries Philippines, Inc. as an assistant retail sales supervisor andNike Philippines as an assistant promotions manager.[10]
From 1986 to 1992, during the presidency of his mother, Aquino joined the Intra-Strata Assurance Corporation, a company owned by his uncle Antolin Oreta Jr., as vice president.[10]
On August 28, 1987, eighteen months into the presidency of Aquino's mother, rebel soldiers led byGregorio Honasan staged anunsuccessful coup attempt, attempting to lay siege toMalacañang Palace.[14] Aquino was two blocks from the palace when he came under fire. Three of Aquino's four security escorts were killed, and the last was wounded protecting him.[15] He himself was hit by five bullets, once in the neck.[15]
From 1993 to 1998, he worked for Central Azucarera de Tarlac, the sugar refinery in the Cojuangco-ownedHacienda Luisita.[16] He was employed as the executive assistant for administration from 1993 to 1996 and subsequently worked as manager for field services from 1996 to 1998.[10]
Congressional career
Aquino was a fourth-generation politician: his great-grandfather,Servillano "Mianong" Aquino, served as a delegate to theMalolos Congress; his paternal grandfather,Benigno Aquino Sr., served asSpeaker of the National Assembly from 1943 to 1944; his maternal grandfather,José Cojuangco, was also a member of the House of Representatives; and his parents were Corazon Aquino, who served as the 11th president of the Philippines (1986–1992), and Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr.[17][14] Aquino was a member of theLiberal Party,[17] where he held various positions such as secretary general and vice president forLuzon.[18]
During the campaign, Aquino reached out to his former political rival, SenatorGregorio Honasan, supporting his application for bail. Aquino told Job Tabada of theCebu Daily News, on March 5, 2007:
"I endorse Honasan's request for bailpara parehas ang laban [to even out the playing field]. I was hit by bullets from Honasan's men in the neck and hips but that's past now. The principle of my father was, 'Respect the rights even of your enemies.'Ito ang nagpatingkad ng demokrasya [This is what defines democracy]. Genuine reconciliation is democracy in action."[23]
Aquino was referring to an unsuccessful coup attempt staged by rebel soldiers led by Gregorio Honasan on August 28, 1987, in which Aquino was seriously injured.[23]
Senate bills
The Budget Impoundment and Control Act (Senate Bill No. 3121), wherein "impoundment" refers to the power of the president to refuse the release of funds appropriated by theCongress of the Philippines, is another bill Aquino was proud of;[24][unreliable source?] he regretted,[24] however, that such power has been used and abused by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, a result of which abuse has been the significant emasculation of Congress' ability to check the president's authority.[25] Aquino filed this bill so that the president would have to pass a measure through Congress every time that they the chief executive had the impetus to impound part of the budget.[25]
Another significant Aquino contribution to the Philippines' corruption problem was Senate Bill 2035, which is thePreservation of Public Infrastructures bill, seeking to raise standards in the construction of all public infrastructures by penalizing contractors of defective infrastructures.[26] The bill also requires the Bureau of Maintenance under theDepartment of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to conduct periodic inspections of public infrastructures.[26]
Aquino also pushed for the passage of the Amending the Government Procurement Act (SB 2160), which applies to all government procurement activities regardless of source of funds whether local or foreign; only treaties or international/executive agreements entered into by the government prior to its enactment shall be exempt from coverage.[27] The bill was filed in light of theDepartment of Justice (DOJ) declaration regarding the validity of theNBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal, wherein its international aspect, as well as the fact that it was an executive agreement, was cited as one reason for its exemption from the procurement process stipulated in Republic Act No. 9184.[27]
On August 27, 2009,Edgardo "Eddie" Roces, son of the late journalist and media executiveChino Roces, and a group of lawyers and activists formed the Noynoy Aquino for President Movement (NAPM), a nationwide campaign to collect a million signatures in order to persuade Aquino to run for president,[33] reminiscent of Roces' father, who on October 15, 1985, launched the Cory Aquino for President Movement (CAPM), collecting more than one million signatures nationwide and asking Aquino's mother to run against Ferdinand Marcos in the1986 presidential snap elections.[34]
On September 1, 2009, at theClub Filipino, in a press conference, SenatorMar Roxas, president of the Liberal Party, announced his withdrawal from the 2010 presidential race and expressed his support for Aquino, as the party standard-bearer instead.[35] Aquino later stood side by side with Roxas, but did not make a public statement at the press conference.[17] The next day, Aquino announced that he would be going on a "spiritual retreat" over the weekend to finalize his decision for the elections, visiting theCarmelite sisters inZamboanga City,[11] reminiscent of his mother's own soul-searching in 1985 before deciding to run for the elections the following year.[36] He came back on September 9 to formally announce his candidacy.[11][37] Almost two weeks later, Roxas pledged to run alongside Aquino as the Liberal Party standard-bearer for vice-president.[38][39] The two men filed their respective certificates of candidacy forpresident andvice-president on November 28, 2009.[40]
Fakepsychiatric reports on Aquino'smental health began circulating online during the 90-day election campaign period from February 9 – May 8, 2010,[41][42] Aquino received information that the first such report came from the wife ofNacionalista Party supporter and formerNational Power Corporation (NAPOCOR) president Guido Delgado, a move Aquino claimed was made with "malicious intent".[42] A second report came from an unidentified supporter ofSenatorManny Villar, the Nacionalistas' leader and presidential candidate.[42][43] Later presented by Delgado at a press conference, the psychiatric report was supposedly signed by Father Jaime C. Bulatao, S.J., PhD, aJesuit priest, a professor ofPsychology and aclinical psychologist at theAteneo de Manila University, taken when Aquino was finishing hisbachelor's degree ineconomics at the university in 1979.[42] It reportedly showed that Aquino suffered fromdepression andmelancholia;[43] the priest later denied writing the document at all.[42] Another supposed psychiatric report that later surfaced claimed that Aquino suffered frommajor depressive disorder; the report's supposed author, Jesuit priest Father Carmelo A. Caluag II, denied writing any evaluations of Aquino.[42] The university's psychology department later debunked the documents, with Aquino labelling them as another desperate effort by rivals to malign his reputation.[42]
Aquino takes the oath of office as the 15th president of the Philippines before Associate JusticeConchita Carpio-Morales at the Quirino Grandstand on June 30, 2010.
During the inaugural address, Aquino created the "nowang-wang" policy, strengthening the implementation of Presidential Decree No. 96.[50][59]Wang-wang is colloquial term for blaring sirens.[60] The decree was issued on January 13, 1973, by thenPresidentFerdinand Marcos, regulating the use of sirens and other similar devices only to motor vehicles designated for the use of select national government officials, the police, the military, the fire department andambulances.[50][59] Despite having the privilege of usingwang-wang as president, Aquino refrained from using sirens to set up an example for his policy, even if it means being stuck in traffic and being late every now and then.[61][62] After the inaugural address, theMetropolitan Manila Development Authority began to enforce Aquino's nowang-wang policy, confiscatingwang-wang from public officials and private motorists who illegally used them.[59]
Bangsamoro peace process
Aquino resumed stalled peace talks with theMoro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a rebel group in Mindanao seekingself-determination forMoros. He met with the MILF in Tokyo, Japan in August 2011 to initiate peace talks which resulted to the signing of theFramework Agreement on the Bangsamoro between the Philippine government and the rebel group the following year. The agreement started the process of replacing theAutonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with a new political entity. In 2014, theComprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) was signed between the Philippine government and the MILF, with the deal characterized as a "final peace agreement" between the two parties.[63]
The CAB paved way for the drafting of theBangsamoro Basic Law (BBL; later known as the Bangsamoro Organic Law or BOL), a charter for a proposedBangsamoro autonomous region which would replace the ARMM.[63]
In 2015, President Aquino was accused of evading responsibility for theMamasapano clash, a botched police operation, which resulted to the death of 44Special Action Force officers. He was also criticized for entrusting the operation to suspended police chiefAlan Purisima.[64] This led to a decrease of public support for the BBL.[65]
Education
Aquino introduced reforms on the Philippine education program by introducing theK-12 curriculum by signing into law the Enhanced Basic Education Act in 2013. This added two years to the basic education system; which became known as the Senior High School stage.[66] The program was introduced because the Philippines was among the three countries in the world at that time still had a 10-year basic education program.[67] Among the criticisms of the K-12 program is the associated costs to be shouldered by teachers, parents, and students for the additional two years of basic education as well as the lack of classrooms and teachers required for the implementation of the shift to K-12.[66]
On August 23, 2010, in front of theQuirino Grandstand inRizal Park,Manila, theManila hostage crisis occurred when a gunman took hostage a bus with Hong Kong tourists. Aquino defended the actions of the police at the scene, stating that the gunman had not shown any signs of wanting to kill the hostages. Aquino ordered a "thorough investigation" into the incident, and would wait until it is completed before deciding whether anyone should lose his or her job.[78] Aquino declared that the media may have worsened the situation by giving the gunman "a bird's-eye view of the entire situation".[79] Aquino also made reference to theMoscow theater hostage crisis, which, according to Aquino, resulted in "more severe" casualties despite Russia's "resources and sophistication".[80] On August 24, 2010, Aquino signed Proclamation No. 23, declaring August 25, 2010, as a national day of mourning, instructing all public institutions nationwide and all Philippine embassies and consulates overseas to lower thePhilippine flag athalf-mast, in honor of the eightHong Kong residents who died during the crisis.[81][82] On August 25, 2010, at a press conference in Malacañang, Aquino apologized to those offended when he was caught on television apparently smiling while being interviewed at the crime scene hours after theManila hostage crisis.[83] Aquino said:
"My smile might have been misunderstood. I have several expressions. I smile when I'm happy, I smile when I'm faced with a very absurd situation...and if I offended certain people, I apologize to them. It's more of an expression maybe of exasperation rather than anything and again, I apologize if I offended certain people, who misunderstood (my) facial expression."[83]
On September 3, 2010, Aquino took responsibility for the crisis.[84] Aquino actually has direct supervision of thePhilippine National Police, since Aquino had askedSecretary of the Interior and Local GovernmentJesse Robredo to address other concerns, such as coming up with a comprehensive plan on delivering social services to and relocating informal settlers in coordination with the local governments.[84] No formal apology for the crisis was made by Aquino until President Rodrigo Duterte formally apologized in 2018 as president of the Republic of the Philippines and in behalf of the people of the Philippines.[85]
Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)
President Aquino III's National Address on Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) - 7 November 2013
President Aquino's administration was criticized during and afterTyphoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in November 2013 for the government's "slow" response to aid the victims.[4] This criticism resulted in countries likeCanada providing humanitarian aid to the victims of the typhoon throughnon-governmental organizations and not the Philippine government.[86]
Noynoying (pronounced noy-noy-YING[87] or noy-NOY-ying[88]) was a protest tactic in the form of aneologism that Aquino's critics used to question his work ethic, alleging his inaction on the issues of disaster response and rising oil prices.[88] A play on the termplanking and Aquino's nickname, Noynoying involved posing in a lazy manner, such as sitting idly while resting his head on one hand, and doing nothing.[88]
Following the turnover ceremonies to his successorRodrigo Duterte at Malacañang, Aquino returned to his parents' residence along Times Street, Quezon City.[89] After leaving office, Aquino remained silent on the Duterte administration and rarely made public appearances.[90] However, in November 2016, Aquino attended a concert atRizal Park and joined protests against theburial of Ferdinand Marcos.[91] In February 2017, Aquino commemorated the 31st anniversary of thePeople Power Revolution by marching to thePeople Power Monument and joining the protests against theFerdinand Marcos regime.[92][93]
Aquino never married and had no children, making him the Philippines' first bachelor president.[98] Aquino previously had a relationship withShalani Soledad, aValenzuela city councilor and niece of former SenatorFrancisco Tatad.[99][100] In November 2010, Aquino confirmed that he and Soledad had ended their relationship.[101] He had previously datedKorina Sanchez,[99]Bernadette Sembrano,[99] and Liz Uy.[101][102] He was also in a relationship with Korean television hostGrace Lee.[103] Aquino had openly stated that he preferred younger women because he wanted to have children.[104]
Although his official residence as president wasMalacañang Palace, Aquino chose to reside in theBahay Pangarap (Dream House), located within the Palace grounds, while in office.[52][112]
Speculation surrounding Aquino's health began circulating in August 2019 after he was unable to attend the commemoration ofhis late father's 36th death anniversary; however, his spokespersonAbigail Valte said that his illness then was "nothing serious".[113] In November 2019, Aquino was reported to have suffered frompneumonia.[114] A month after, he was confined atMakati Medical Center for an executive checkup and undisclosed routine procedures. Aquino was confined in anintensive care unit, although according to his spokesperson, he was never in critical condition and the accommodation was just to limit visitors.[115][116] SenatorFrancis Pangilinan, who was Aquino's formerfood security czar, later stated that this confinement was due to akidney malfunction. Pangilinan added that Aquino had also been suffering fromhypertension anddiabetes.[117] Thereafter, Aquino regularly sought medical treatment for his condition.[118] By May 2021, Aquino told Camille Elemia ofRappler that he was experiencing aloss of appetite and breathing difficulties. That same month, he reportedly underwent acardiac surgery.[119]
In the early hours of June 24, 2021, Aquino was found by hismaidservant lying unconscious on his recliner at his home in West Triangle,Quezon City. He was immediately transported by ambulance to the nearbyCapitol Medical Center inDiliman, where he was pronounced dead at 6:30 a.m. (PHT), that day (22:30UTC of the previous day).[120] The cause of death was stated asrenal disease, secondary to diabetes.[121][122] According to his personal chauffeur, Aquino was scheduled to undergodialysis on June 21, but refused because he felt that his body was "weak". Another dialysis was planned the day prior to his death, but Aquino again turned it down for similar reasons.[123] Aquino's formerpublic works secretary,Rogelio Singson, stated that he also underwentangioplasty to prepare for a scheduledkidney transplantation; Aquino was in the process of searching for donors at the time of his death.[117]
^Original term until June 30, 2013; resigned to sit as president.
^Diokno's ancestor is Demetria Sumulong who was born in Antipolo before moving south, her common ancestor with Aquino is Francisco Sumulong (born 1695).[1][2][3]
^Cruz, Isagani (July 29, 2010)."Education in the SONA".Literacy Coordinating Council. Archived fromthe original on August 19, 2011. RetrievedJanuary 23, 2012.
^Kabiling, Genalyn (February 8, 2021)."Former President Aquino in good spirits as he spends 61st birthday at home – Manila Bulletin".Manila Bulletin.Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. RetrievedJune 24, 2021.Ever since he left Malacañang, Aquino has been spending a relatively quiet retirement from politics / In the past few years, Aquino made rare public appearances, including attending historic occasions related to his parents. There were occasional public statements, including instances when Aquino's name was dragged in the cases related to the Dengvaxia controversy and the Mamasapano tragedy.
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