Maria corazon c aquino biography of williams

Biography of Maria Corazon (Cory) Cojuangco Aquino

Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco Aquino, popularly known as Cory Aquino, was born on January 25, 1933, in Manila, Philippines. She was born into a wealthy Filipino family, with her father being a congressman and owner of sugarcane plantations, and her mother being of Filipino ethnicity. Aquino obtained her education from monastery schools in the Philippines and the United States, studying in Philadelphia and New York. She graduated from Mount Saint Vincent College in New York in 1953, majoring in French Language and Mathematics. She also studied law at the Far Eastern University in Manila from 1953 to 1954.

In October 1954, she married Benigno Aquino, a journalist and political figure who had just been elected as the mayor of Concepcion in the province of Tarlac at the age of 22. Benigno later became a senator in 1972 and was considered a contender for the presidency from the opposition. However, after Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law, Benigno was arrested. In May 1980, he was allowed to travel to the United States for a heart operation.

Following the operation, the Aquino family settled in Newport, Massachusetts. Benigno returned to the Philippines to continue his political fight against the Marcos regime, but was assassinated by soldiers at Manila airport on August 21, 1983. Cory Aquino returned to her homeland to carry on her husband's legacy and lead the opposition. President Ferdinand Marcos called for elections on February 7, 1986, hoping to secure victory through the support of the military, control over the electoral machinery, and divisions within the opposition. However, the opposition rallied behind Cory Aquino and nominated her as the unified presidential candidate.

After Marcos declared himself the winner of the elections, Aquino called on the people to resist. According to the opposition's count, Aquino had a lead of 1.8 million votes over Marcos. Her support was further reinforced by Minister of Defense Juan Ponce Enrile and Deputy Chief of Staff Fidel Ramos. On February 25, 1986, two inaugurations took place - one for Aquino and one for Marcos. However, on the same day, Marcos fled the country and Aquino was officially proclaimed as the President of the Philippines.

One of Aquino's first actions as president was the release of political prisoners. In February 1987, a new constitution was adopted and parliamentary elections were held. There were seven attempted military coups by Marcos loyalists, but all were suppressed. In 1991, tensions arose between the Philippines and the United States after the Philippine Senate refused to ratify a military presence agreement.

Aquino decided not to run for re-election and named Defense Minister Fidel Ramos as her successor. On May 11, 1992, Ramos was elected president, receiving 23.6% of the votes and surpassing candidates such as Miriam Defensor-Santiago from the People's Reform Party (19.7%) and the spouse of former President Imelda Marcos (10.3%).

On June 30, 1992, Aquino retired with the intention of focusing on her private life, but continued to expose the Marcos regime. In December 1998, she demanded that Imelda Marcos, the wife of the dictator, return the $10 billion that was stolen from the state treasury.

From her marriage to Benigno Aquino, she had a son, Benigno III, and four daughters, Maria Elena, Aurora, Victoria, and Kristina.