Maria Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco Aquino

(January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009)

Born on January 25, 1933, the sixth of eight children born to Jose Cojoangco of Tarlac

Well- bred

Devout believer in the Catholic faith

Was a ‘plain housewife’ who would often choose to be in the background

A mother to five: a son, Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III, who was elected to the Philippine Senate in 2007, and four daughters, Maria Elena "Ballsy" A. Cruz, Aurora Corazon "Pinky" A. Abellada, Victoria Eliza "Viel" A. Dee, and actress-television host Kristina Bernadette C. Aquino-Yap.

Died on August 1, 2009 of colon caner at the age of 76

LIFE

"Icon of Philippine Democracy“

-served from 1986 to 1992

She was the first female president of the Philippines

Woman of the Year 1986- TIME Magazine

Eleventh President of the Philippines

Some Accomplishments

Snap Elections

1985

Nov. 3: President Marcos announces that he is ready to call a "snap election," while being interviewed in the "David Brinkley Show.“

Dec. 2:. Marcos signs Cabinet Bill No. 7, formally setting

the Snap elections to Feb. 7, 1986

Ascension to power

1985Second week of February: There is still no

declared winner a week after the snap elections.

The National Movement for Free Elections, or NAMFREL, figures show that Cory and

her vice presidential running Salvor "Doy" Laurel are consistently in the lead.

NAMFREL's final tabulation of

Cory's votes is of 7,853,070

Laurel 7,441,313 votes.

Marcos obtains 7,053,068

The government declared Marcos the winner

After the election Cory Aquino spoke to a crowd of one million people at a rally in Manila

> She proposed a seven-part program of nonviolent resistance, including a one-day work stoppage and a boycott of Marcos-controlled banks, stores and newspapers.

She urged people to "experiment with nonviolent forms of protest" and declared: "...if Goliath refuses to yield, we shall keep dipping into our arsenal of nonviolence and escalate our nonviolent struggle." The revolution had begun.

The people power trigger

DEFECTION

On February 22, 1986

Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Deputy Chief of Staff Fidel Ramos defect from the Marcos government

"They are cornered," he says. They "can be easily wiped out with simple artillery and tank fire." He declares: "I intend to stay as President and if necessary I will defend this position with all the force at my disposal."

The people power trigger

Rising mass support

During the height of the revolution, an estimated one to three million people filled EDSA from Ortigas Avenue all the way to Cubao.

At dawn, Sunday, government troops arrived to knock down the main

transmitter of Radio Veritas, cutting off broadcasts to people in the provinces. The station switched to a standby transmitter with a limited range of broadcast

The people power revolution

The capture of Channel 4

At around that time, June Keithley received reports that Marcos had left Malacañang Palace and broadcasted this to the people at EDSA. The crowd celebrated and even Ramos and Enrile came out from Crame to appear to the crowds. The jubilation was however short-lived as Marcos later appeared on television on the government-controlled Channel 4, (using the forclosed ABS-CBN facilites, transmitter and compound) declaring that he would not step down. It was thereafter speculated that the false report was a calculated move against Marcos to encourage more defections.

Two inaugurationsLater in the morning, Corazon Aquino was inaugurated as President of the Philippines in a simple ceremony at Club Filipino in Greenhills, about a kilometer from Camp Crame. She was sworn in as President by Senior Associate Justice Claudio Teehankee, and Laurel as Vice-President by Justice Vicente Abad Santos

The people power revolution

An hour later, Marcos conducted the inauguration at Malacañang. Loyalist civilians attended the ceremony, shouting "Marcos, Marcos, Marcos pa rin! (Marcos, Marcos, still Marcos!)". On the Palace balcony, Marcos took his oath as the President of the Philippines, broadcast by channels 13 and channel 7.

Proclamation No. 1calling all appointive public officials to submit their courtesy resignations

>> Feb. 25, Cory, in her inaugural address, issues her first edict

Political developments

Proclamation No. 3 >> March 25An orderly transition to a government with a new constitution which is popularly known as the

“Freedom Constitution”

Adopts the provisions of the following from the 1973 Constitution:1. Article I (National Territory)2. Article III (Citizenship)3. Article IV (Bill of Rights)4. Article V (Duties and Obligations of Citizens)5. Article VI (Suffrage)

The provisions of the 1973 Constitution on the Batasang Pambansa (Article VIII), the Prime Minister and the Cabinet (Article IX), Amendments (Article XVI), the Transitory Provisions (Article XVII), and all the amendments thereto are superseded.

Provides that the Philippines is a democratic and republican state where sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them (Article II, Section I)

Proclamation No. 9>> April 23

Provides for the creation of the Constitutional Commission (ConCom)

She appoints 48 men and women, led former justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma, to be members of the Concom1987 Commission was finished within four months

Family Code of 1987

Executive Order 209Reformed the civil law on family relations

Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Instituted on June 10, 1988

Centerpiece program of Aquino’s administrationAimed not only to grant land to the tillers but also provide them with the necessary support services

Administrative Code of 1987promulgated by Aquino to reorganize the structure of the executive branch of the government

Local Government Code

Further devolved national government powers to local government units

The provisions included in it shall govern the exercise by provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays of their taxing and other revenue- raising powers.

1986November 22The coup attempt is called "God Save the Queen“

1987January 27-29Another coup attempt arises under the leadership of Colonel Oscar Canlas

April 18Fifty six rebel soldiers raid the Fort Bonifacio in what became known as the The "Black Saturday" coup.

August 28Col. Gregorio Honasan, former top aide to Enrile, leads rebel soldiers to launch an attack against Malacañang early morning.The siege is repelled within hours but with several military and civilian casualties. Cory's only son, Noynoy is wounded during the siege.

Coups in abundance

August 29The previous day's coup ends leaving 53 people dead and over 200 wounded. Honasan evades capture while Enrile denies involvement in the coup. 1989

December 1 Col. Gregorio Honasan and retired Gen. Jose Ma. Zumel lead RAM and troops loyal to Marcos respectively to stage the most serious coup d'etat attempt in the Aquino administration.

On Nov. 9She opens United States trading in the First Philippine Fund Inc. She later spoke at a meeting of the United States Chamber of Commerce and the United States-Philippine Business Committee, where she urged American business to increase its investment in the Philippines.Economy needs to reconstruct its $27B

debt under:Easier terms (negotiations) conditionsGenerate jobsImprove the material welfare of the people“Pump- prime” the economyWin markets for our export productsStrive for greater self- reliance on options other than debts (sariling sikap)Revamp the governmentFriendly ties with other countries

Economic developments

The 1990 Luzon Earthquake

Occurred on July 16, 1990

The earthquake stretched from Dingalan, Aurora to Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya

Baguio was one of the hardest hit areas with the number of deaths at about 1,000.

Electric, water and communication lines in Baguio were destroyed.

Food and fuel were scarce.

The city was completely inaccessible.

social developments

“The Sleeping Giant Awakens”

On June 15, 1991, the Pinatubo Volcano erupted violently after 400 years of slumber.

847 people were killed, 184 injured, 23 missing, and more than 1 million displaced.

This phenomenon caused the world's temperature to drop by an average of 1 degree Celsius.

The world’s most violent and destructive volcanic event of the 20th century.

Tropical Storm Thelma or Auring

Occurred from November 2-7, 1991Ormoc CityCasualties:Dead = 5,080Injured = 292Missing = 1,264

MV Doña PazA passenger ferry that sank after colliding with the oil tanker Vector on December 20, 1987.

It was en route from Catbalogan, Samar to Manila.58 crew members died and only 2 survived.1,565 people died.

Although some reports claim that the ferry was overcrowded and that the true death toll is over 4,000.A total of 21 people survived.

Brownouts were also widespread which forced people to buy their own generators.

1. Proclamation No. 2Lifted the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus

“so that the guardian of liberty and freedom may be available to all.”

2. Executive Order No. 8“to uphold and respect the people’s civil liberties

and human rights.” 3. Executive Order No. 11Board of Administrators was createdMandated to ensure freedom of the press is

maintained

Laws and regulations affecting mass media

4. Executive Order No. 29“penalized the printing, possession, distribution, and circulation of certain leaflets, handbills and propaganda materials against the government.”

5. RA no. 7079“An Act Providing for the Development and Promotion of Campus Journalism”

In 1954, she married Benigno Aquino, one of the most ambitious and promising politicians in the country. Before they met, however, Benigno had dated a young beauty queen named Imelda Romualdez.

The Martyr's WifeWith Benigno Aquino's political star rising, Marcos assumed dictatorial powers in 1972 and imprisoned his

archrival

Marked the end of dictatorshipPress was restoredNewspaper chains were given backUnrestrained form of writingExcited for the restoration – questions arise

Freedom of the press