Benigno Aquino III

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Lore & Background

Noynoy Aquino was born on February 8, 1960, at Far Eastern University Hospital in Sampaloc, Manila, the third of five children. He attended Ateneo de Manila University for elementary, high school, and college, earning a Bachelor of Arts in economics in 1981. After his father's assassination on August 21, 1983, the family returned from exile in the United States. On August 28, 1987, during his mother's presidency, Aquino was hit by five bullets from rebel soldiers led by Gregorio Honasan in an unsuccessful coup attempt; three of his four security escorts were killed. Aquino served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1998 to 2007, including as deputy speaker from November 8, 2004, to February 21, 2006. He was elected to the Senate in 2007 under the Genuine Opposition coalition with over 14.3 million votes. After his mother's death, he announced his candidacy for the 2010 presidential election and won, being sworn in on June 30, 2010. After leaving office in 2016, Aquino faced legal actions over the Mamasapano clash and a budget project, but was later acquitted of all charges regarding the Mamasapano incident.

Reader's Guide

Benigno Aquino III's presidency marked a period of significant economic growth for the Philippines, earning the country the label of a "Rising Tiger" economy. His confrontational foreign policy led to the landmark Philippines v. China arbitration case, which sought to invalidate China's claims in the South China Sea and resulted in a ruling favorable to the Philippines. As the son of two iconic political figures, his rise to the presidency was propelled by public sympathy following his mother's death. His legislative work in the Senate included bills on budget impoundment, infrastructure standards, and government procurement reform. However, his post-presidency was marred by legal challenges related to the Mamasapano clash, from which he was ultimately acquitted.

Did You Know?

• Aquino was hit by five bullets during a 1987 coup attempt, with one bullet striking his neck; three of his four security escorts were killed.
• He earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Ateneo de Manila University in 1981, where his eventual predecessor Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was one of his professors.
• In the 2007 Senate election, Aquino placed sixth among 37 candidates with over 14.3 million votes.
• During his 2007 campaign, Aquino publicly endorsed the bail application of Gregorio Honasan, the rebel leader whose soldiers had shot him in 1987.
• Aquino was acquitted of all charges related to the Mamasapano clash after leaving office.

A Dynasty Forged in Exile and Tragedy

Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III was born on February 8, 1960, at Far Eastern University Hospital in Manila, the third of five children of a Tarlac vice governor and the daughter of a prominent local businessman. Politics ran deep in his bloodline: his great-grandfather served as a delegate to the Malolos Congress, his paternal grandfather held the Speakership of the National Assembly during the Japanese occupation, and his maternal grandfather had sat in the House of Representatives. His parents, Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. and Corazon Cojuangco, would become towering figures in Philippine democracy. Noynoy completed his entire education, from elementary school through a bachelor's degree in economics, at the Ateneo de Manila University, where his eventual predecessor Gloria Macapagal Arroyo once served as his professor. The family's life shattered in 1972 when his father was arrested for subversion and brought before a military tribunal. After a string of heart attacks, the elder Aquino was permitted to seek medical care in the United States, and the family entered self-exile in Boston. Noynoy joined them there in 1981. In 1983, the family returned to the Philippines only to confront the devastating reality of his father's assassination on August 21.

From the House Floor to the Senate Chamber

Aquino first entered elected office in 1998, winning a congressional seat in the House of Representatives. His legislative career accelerated when he was named deputy speaker on November 8, 2004, a position he held until February 21, 2006, when he stepped down to align with the Liberal Party faction led by ousted Senate President Frank Drilon in calling for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's resignation amid the Hello Garci scandal. He also chaired the Central Luzon Congressional Caucus. Term limits prevented him from seeking another House term, so in the 2007 midterms he ran for the Senate under the Genuine Opposition coalition, a multi-party alliance including Liberals that sought to block Arroyo's attempts to amend the 1987 Constitution. His campaign advertisements featured endorsements from his younger sister, television host Kris Aquino, and his mother, Corazon. Remarkably, the pentecostal Jesus Is Lord Church, one of the nation's largest Protestant bodies, also backed his candidacy despite his Roman Catholic faith. With over 14.3 million votes, he placed sixth among 37 candidates vying for 12 at-large seats, assuming office on June 30, 2007. During the campaign, he also reached out to his former rival Senator Gregorio Honasan, publicly supporting the latter's application for bail.

The Rising Tiger and the South China Sea

Sworn in as the 15th president of the Philippines on June 30, 2010, Aquino succeeded Gloria Macapagal Arroyo after announcing his candidacy shortly following his mother's death. His six-year tenure brought what observers described as the strongest economic expansion the country had seen in decades, earning the nation the moniker of a "Rising Tiger" economy. On the international stage, Aquino adopted a markedly confrontational foreign policy, most visibly in the South China Sea dispute. His administration filed the landmark arbitration case, Philippines v. China, before the Permanent Court of Arbitration, seeking to invalidate Beijing's sweeping territorial claims in the region and affirm the Philippines' own maritime rights. The court ultimately ruled in favor of the Philippines. Yet his presidency also carried deep domestic scars. After leaving office in 2016, Aquino faced legal actions over his role in the Mamasapano clash and over his approval of a controversial budget project. He was ultimately acquitted of all charges related to the Mamasapano incident.

Bullets, Boardrooms, and a Life Beyond the Palace

Long before he ever held public office, Noynoy Aquino faced a moment of extraordinary personal danger. On August 28, 1987, during his mother's presidency, rebel soldiers under Gregorio Honasan staged an unsuccessful coup attempt, attempting to lay siege to Malacañang Palace. Aquino was only two blocks from the palace when he came under fire. Three of his four security escorts were killed, and the fourth was wounded protecting him. He himself was struck by five bullets, one in the neck. Between his political stints, Aquino built a varied career in the private sector. He worked as an assistant to the executive director of the Philippine Business for Social Progress, then as an assistant retail sales supervisor at Mondragon Industries Philippines, and as an assistant promotions manager at Nike Philippines. During his mother's presidency, he served as vice president of the Intra-Strata Assurance Corporation, a firm owned by his uncle Antolin Oreta Jr. From 1993 to 1998, he held administrative and field-service management roles at Central Azucarera de Tarlac, the sugar refinery on the Cojuangco-owned Hacienda Luisita. He died on June 24, 2021, at the age of 61.