President of the Philippines

Benigno Aquino III (1960- )

Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Cojuangco Aquino III (born February 8, 1960) is a Senator of the Philippines and a candidate for President of the Philippines in the 2010 election, as the standard-bearer of the Liberal Party. He is the only son of former President Corazon Aquino and former Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. A graduate of Ateneo de Manila University, he was seriously wounded by rebel soldiers in a failed coup attempt during his mother's presidency. In 1989, he was elected to the House of Representatives as Representative of the 2nd district of Tarlac province in the 11th Congress of the Philippines. In 2007, he was elected to the Senate of the 14th Congress of the Philippines. He is also the brother of TV host and actress Kris Aquino. Early life and education Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Cojuangco Aquino III was born on February 8, 1960. He is the third of the of five children of Benigno Aquino, Jr., who was then Vice Governor of Tarlac province, and Corazon Aquino. He has three sisters, Maria Elena ("Ballsy"), Aurora Corazon ("Pinky"), Victoria Eliza ("Viel"), and Kristina Bernadette ("Kris"). Aquino studied in Ateneo de Manila University for his elementary, high school, and college education, graduating in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. After college, he joined his family in Boston in exile. In 1983, shortly after the murder of his father, Noynoy had a short tenure as a member of the Philippine Business for Social Progress. From 1985 to 1986, he was retail sales supervisor and youth promotions assistant for Nike Philippines and later an assistant for advertising and promotion for Mondragon Philippines. In 1986, he joined Intra-Strata Assurance Corp. as vice-president of the family-owned corporation. On August 28, 1987, eighteen months into the presidency of Aquino's mother, rebel soldiers led by Gregorio Honasan staged an unsuccessful coup attempt, attempting to siege Malacañang Palace. Aquino was two blocks from the palace when he came under fire. Three of his four security escorts were killed, and the last was wounded protecting him. Aquino himself was hit by five bullets, one of which is still embedded in his neck. From 1986 to 1993, Aquino was vice president and treasurer for Best Security Agency Corporation, a firm owned by his uncle Antolin Oreta. He went to work for the Central Azucarera de Tarlac in 1993, the sugar refinery owned by the Cojuangco clan. He started out as an executive assistant for administration, before becoming field services manager in 1996.[citation needed] Political life Aquino is a leading member of the Liberal Party. He currently holds the position of Vice Chairman of the Liberal Party, having assumed the post on 17 March 2006. He was previously Secretary General of the party (1999-2002), Vice-President of the Luzon Liberal Party (2002-2004), and Secretary General of the party (2004-16 March 2006). Aquino is associated with a faction of the Liberal Party which opposes the government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, citing alleged human rights violations. House of Representatives Aquino was elected to the House of Representatives in 1998, representing the 2nd District of Tarlac. He won re-election in 2001 and 2004, and served until 2007. Aquino served on numerous committees as a member of Congress: the Public Order and Security, Transportation and Communications, Agriculture, Banks &and Financial Intermediaries, Peoples' Participation, Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, Appropriations, Natural Resources, and Trade and Industry committees (11th Congress), the Civil, Political and Human Rights, Good Government, Public Order and Security, Inter-Parliamentary Relations and Diplomacy committees (12th Congress), and the Banks and Financial Intermediaries, Energy, Export Promotion, Public Order and Safety committees (13th Congress). Aquino was also Deputy Speaker from November 8, 2004 to February 21, 2006. Senate Barred by term limits from seeking a fourth term as the Representative for the second district of Tarlac province, Aquino was elected to the Senate in the May 14, 2007 midterm elections under the banner of the Genuine Opposition (GO), a coalition comprising a number of parties, including his own Liberal Party, seeking to curb attempts by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to amend the Constitution. In his political ads, he was endorsed by younger sister, TV host Kris Aquino, and mother, the late former President Corazon Aquino. Although a devout Roman Catholic, he was endorsed by one of the largest Protestant churches in the Philippines, the Jesus is Lord. With more than 14.3 million votes, Aquino's tally was the sixth highest of the 37 candidates for the 12 vacant seats elected from the nation at large. He assumed his new office on June 30, 2007. During the campaign, Aquino reached out to his former enemy, Senator Gregorio Honasan, supporting his application for bail. "I endorse Honasan's request for bail para parehas ang laban. 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. Genuine reconciliation is democracy in action," Aquino told Job Tabada of Cebu Daily News on 5 March 2007. He was referring to two bloody coup attempts against his mother in 1987 and 1989, in the first of which Aquino was seriously injured. 2010 presidential campaign In the Liberal Party, Aquino has held various positions such as Secretary General and Vice President for Luzon. He is currently the LP Vice-Chairman. After the death of President Corazon Aquino, calls for him to run for higher office reached its highest and he has decided after the retreat that he would run as a candidate for the Presidency in the 2010 National Elections. A group of lawyers and activists formed the NAPM — the Noynoy Aquino for President Movement — and a nationwide campaign led by the son of the late influential businessman, Chino Roces, began to collect a million signatures in order to persuade Aquino to run for President. In the last weekend of August, Senator Aquino and his fellow partymate in the Liberal Party, Senator Mar Roxas and an unnamed presidential aspirant commenced days of talks to decide what to do for next year's elections. On September 1, 2009, in a press conference at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City, Senator Roxas, a leading candidate for the Liberal Party nomination announced his withdrawal in the presidential race and expressed his support for Aquino's candidacy. Sen. Aquino later stood side by side Sen. Roxas, but did not make a public statement on the said press conference. On September 9, 2009, 40 days after the death of his mother, Aquino officially announced his bid for the Presidency in a press conference at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City, which also served as the site of his mother's Presidential Inauguration in February 1986. Criticism While Aquino currently enjoys considerable support, those who stand to lose from his victory in the presidential race claim that this can only be attributed to both his parents' successes and not his own. However, months after the death of his mother, his popularity remains strong and analysts say that his lead is a sure sign of victory, unless he is cheated or blunders heavily. In 11 years in government, critics have said that Aquino has not made any significant contributions to legislation. But various documents have been released showing that he has accomplished much in his three years in the Senate. On a similar note, Noynoy's detractors have also pointed out that, at almost 50 years old he has neither a wife nor any children . Aquino had lived with his mother, the former president, until her death, and has said if he becomes president, he would choose to live in his modest ancestral home than in the presidential palace. Another issue is Noynoy's stake in his family's 7,500 hectare estate, Hacienda Luisita. His mother, the former president Corazon Aquino, was also criticized on these grounds, especially in failing to push for land redistribution reforms given their alleged conflict of interest. But the stock distribution option was ratified three times by a referanda by the farmer beneficiaries. In 2004, a clash with government troops and farms led to the massacre of 12 picketing farmers and 2 children and the injury of hundreds of other protesters. Aquino's side of the family, which owns a miniscule percentage, have met to deliberate how to turn over the land to farmers fairly while giving the farmers job security at such a timeframe that the farmers will not absorb the land's many debts. Personal life Aquino is a shooting and billiards enthusiast[14] He is also an audiophile, and enjoys listening to jazz, bossa nova, and OPM (Original Pilipino Music). One of Noynoy's favorite Filipino artists is singer/composer Noel Cabangon.

Diosdado Macapagal (1910-1997)

Biography Diosdado Pangan Macapagal stands out as one of the great, respected, highly esteemed and loved presidents of the Philippines. During his time, the Philippines enjoyed prosperity and was the second most developed country in the Asian region, next only to Japan and ahead of the new tigers of Asia like Singapore, Taiwan, Korea, etc. He is affectionately known as the Champion of the Common Man because of his many achievements in improving the plight of the masses and of the poor. His sterling character and unquestionable integrity (known as the Incorruptible) is a rare model for present and future generations of Filipinos. He has proven that one can rise up over poverty, having been truly the first poor man to become president of the country. The fifth president of the Third Republic of the Philippines traces his humble roots to barrio San Nicolas, town of Lubao, in the province of Pampanga. He was born on 28 September 1910. His grandmother, Escolastica Romero, after seeing the child born told his mother that she has a very strong feeling within her that the child will one day be great and thus he was christened "Diosdado," God-given. His mother, Romana Pangan, laundered for neighbors to earn a living while his father, Urbano, was a "plebeian intellectual" who was part farmer and part wandering playwright. He was the second of four children, namely: Israel, Angel, and the youngest and only sister, Lourdes. The Macapagal family was subject to abject poverty. Their mother would usually send them to sleep early so as not to feel the pangs of hunger for lack of food. Food was not the only thing lacking; also books and materials for school. This did not deter "Dadong" from finishing at the top of his class in the Lubao Elementary School in 1925. He was also salutatorian at the Pampanga High School in 1929. He finished his pre-law course at the University of the Philippines and enrolled at the Philippine Law School in 1932 where he was a scholar. He exhibited excellence in the fields of oration and debate. It was at this time that the philanthropist Honorio Ventura took notice of young Macapagal. Impressed with his honesty and intellectual capacity, he offered to shoulder Dadong's expenses in college but requested him to transfer to his alma mater, the pontifical University of Santo Tomas. Macapagal topped the bar examinations in 1936 with a rating of 89.95%. After his LLB degree, he took graduate studies and finished in 1941 with a degree of Master of Laws. He received his Doctor of Civil Laws 1947, and Doctor of Philosophy in Economics in 1957. Macapagal first took on the job of an assistant attorney with the largest American law firm in the country, Ross, Lawrence, Selph and Carrascoso. He married Purita dela Rosa, with whom he had two children, Cielo and Arthur. She died in 1942 of malnutrition. In 1946 Macapagal married Evangelina Macaraeg of Pangasinan, with whom he had two more children, Gloria and Diosdado Jr. After Philippine Independence was granted and the Republic of the Philippines was established in July 1946, Macapagal joined the government service as Chief of the Law Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs. In 1948, President Quirino appointed Macapagal as chief negotiator in the administration-to-administration transfer of the Turtle Islands from the United Kingdom. In the Foreign Affairs Department, Macapagal served as Second Secretary at the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. in 1948. He did not stay long for he was asked by President Elpidio Quirino to launch his candidacy for Congressman for Pampanga's first district under the Liberal Party. Macapagal won handily by over 20,000 votes, the biggest in the country that time. In 1953 he ran for re-election and breezed through the polls. His performance in Congress was exemplary. As a Congressman, he authored, co-authored, and sponsored socio-economic legislation such as the Minimum Wage Law, the Rural Bank Law, the Rural Health Law, the Law on Barrio Councils, the Barrio Industrialization Law, the Foreign Service Law, the law creating the ACCFA, the law nationalizing the rice and corn business. From 1950-1953, he served as Chairman of the House committee on Foreign affairs and thus, was given important foreign assignments. He was a delegate to the Southeast Asia Conference as well as to the General Assembly meeting of the United Nations in New York in 1950; chief delegate to the Sixth General Assembly meeting of the United Nations in Paris in 1951; negotiator and signatory in both the US-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty in Washington, D.C. and the Japanese Peace Treaty in San Francisco, California in 1951, and member of the Laurel-Langley Agreement. From 1947 to 1957, he was consistently chosen by the Congressional Press Club as one of the Ten Outstanding Congressmen. In the Third Congress, he was selected as the Best Lawmaker. Macapagal's honesty as manifested in several occasions won the admiration of the press and public. Philippine Free Press' Leon O. Ty called him a "ruthlessly honest public official." The late President Ramon Magsaysay said, "I like Dadong because he is honest and he is a man of the masses." In the 1957 elections, Macapagal ran as Vice-President under the Liberal Party banner and won. Because the ruling party did not give him a Cabinet position, Macapagal found time to tour the provinces to build up and restore the image of the Liberal Party in the public eye, as well as to visit other countries in order to study their economies and problems as they related to the Philippine experience. In the 1961 elections, Macapagal was chosen as the official candidate of the Liberal Party for president. He unified the opposition groups against the administration and he pledged to restore decency and morality in government, to uplift the common man and to give economic progress to the people. He won over the incumbent President, Carlos P. Garcia. Macapagal's administration had two aims: (1) "to solve the immediate problems of the present" and (2) "to build materially and spiritually for the future." To show his sincerity in weeding out corruption and nepotism in the government, his first administrative order upon being elected president was to bar government officials from giving special favors to his relatives. He also constantly reminded his relatives to be always above-board and not to use their influence for personal gain. General Carlos P. Romulo, then president of the University of the Philippines and one of the country's foremost statesmen, in a speech introducing the Chief Executive to the student body of the State University, made the following assessment of the latter's record in office: "Allow me, Mr. President , to introduce you on this occasion not in the usual approved protocol type. In introducing you to our constituency, I would like to cite five important facts:" "First, that we have in you not a theoretical or empirical economist. You showed the ability of your knowledge in this field when, very early in your Administration, you abolished the controls in the face of predictions that such a step would be disastrous to the country. That your decision was a wise one is shown by the fact that today the peso is stable, a factor which is crucial in the soundness of our economy." "Second, very early in your Administration, you launched the (five-year) Socio-Economic Program long needed by the country and today, we see the program contributing directly to the amelioration of the lot of all our people." "Third, you launched a moral regeneration campaign, striking hard at graft and corruption, and running tirelessly after big fish and small." "Fourth, you demonstrated exemplary diplomacy in bringing about the recent Summit Meeting and the emergence of Maphilindo (now Association of Southeast Asian Nations)... " "Fifth, it was your persistence and determination that made possible the enactment of the Land Reform Act, a milestone in the evolution of the common man from the slavery of tenancy to the freedom and security of a land-owning farmer, thus ensuring the stability and permanence of our democracy." Commenting on Macapagal's stewardship of the nation, Jose L. Guevara, a prestigious and witty columnist, in his column "Point of Order," which then came out in the Manila Times, said: "Tomorrow the Macapagal era comes to an end. Perhaps a few words by way of summing up is in order. "Two things stand out in President Macapagal. He loved the common man and he wanted to carve a name for himself in history. "In both, he may well have succeeded for at no time, in any administration have the policies of the government been geared to help the common man. "As for his place in history, that is not only assured, but will grow in time as appreciation becomes universal for the Land Reform Code he instituted; the return to Free Enterprise; the change in the Independence Day from July 4 to June 12." Other highlights of Macapagal's administration were: (1) initial beautification of Rizal Park; (2) development in 1964 of "Miracle"(IR-8 variety) rice by the International Rice Research Institute, which Macapagal inaugurated on 7 February 1962; (3) commencement of construction of the North Diversion Highway and the South Expressway; (4) construction of four 7-storey tenement buildings for the poor; (5) sale of PHHC houses to AFP enlisted men and officers, and other government employees; (7) establishment of the Private Development Corporation , the NACIDA, the NACIDA Bank, the Philippine Veterans Bank, the National Commission of Culture, the Bataan Munitions Plant, and the Asian Development Bank in Manila; (8) enactment of Rep. Act 4155 prescribing realistic solutions to PVTA's financing, marketing, and stock disposal problems, thus preventing untimely collapse of the local flue-cured tobacco industry; (9) promotion of or assistance to the Iligan Steel Mills, the Manila Hilton, Hotel Savoy Philippines, Paper Industries Corporation, Esso Fertilizer Plant, Dole Pineapple Plant, Elizalde Tin Plate, Surigao ferro-nickle mines, and other income-generating private enterprises; and (10) the changing of the date of Philippine Independence from July 4 to June 12 (when General Emilio Aguinaldo, as president of the first Philippine Republic, proclaimed Philippine independence in Kawit, Cavite, in 1898); and (11) the filing of claims to Sabah on June 22, 1962. Macapagal has the added distinction of having been elected President of the 1971-1972 Constitutional Convention. In his retirement, Macapagal devoted a good part of his time to reading and writing. He wrote a weekly column for the Manila Bulletin. An intellectual and a writer, he has produced quite a number of books: A Stone for the Edifice - Memoirs of a President, The Philippines Turns East, An Asian Looks at South America, A New Constitution for the Philippines, Building for the Greatest Number, The Welfare State, Economic Development, Economic Planning and Implementation, Land Reform, The Common Man, and Democracy in the Philippines. Macapagal was also honorary chairman of the National Centennial Commission, chairman of the board of CAP Life, and the Angeles University Foundation in Angeles City, among others.

Manuel L. Quezon (1878-1944)

Biography of Manuel L.Quezon Manuel Quezon was born in Baler , Quezon ( now Aurora ) on August 19, 1878 . His parents were Mr. Lucio Quezon and Mrs. Maria Molina . Manuel was first studied in Baler and then to San Juan de Letran , where he accepted persuade being expert in Science of Mathematics . He joined the Katipunan when he was eighteen years old. At the age of twenty- one he joined the army of General Emilio Aguinaldo . Became prosecutor at age 25 and became governor at the age of 28 . He also became Komisyunado Residents when he was 31 , the president of the Senate when he was 38 and at age 56 became the President of the Philippines Feast be laid at his official birth of Bonifacio and he also decided to build a monument to its green park . He made the step to have National Language adapted a dialect of the archipelago . So became the national language of the country is Filipino . And it was the reason we celebrate seepage Language Week in the month of his birth . Manuel Quezon became a member of the Pacific War Council and June 14, 1942 he The first Filipinos to sign the United Nations or the United Nations . Manuel Quezon died on April 15, 1948 due to tuberculosis and buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington and moved his lips in Quezon City within the monument at the Quezon Memorial Circle .

Carlos P. Garcia (1896-1971)

Carlos P. Garcia Gale Encyclopedia of Biography: Carlos P. GarciaTop Home > Library > Miscellaneous > Biographies Carlos P. Garcia (1896-1971) was the fourth president of the Republic of the Philippines. He was noted for the enunciation of the Filipino First Policy, intended to complete and guarantee Philippine economic independence and sovereignty. Carlos P. Garcia was born in Talibon, Bohol, on November 4, 1896. He took law courses at Silliman University in 1918-1919 and graduated with a law degree from the Philippine Law School. He topped the bar examination in 1923. He was elected for three terms (1925-1931) as representative of the third district of Bohol. He served for three terms (1933-1941) as governor of Bohol Province. For 13 years (1941-1954) Garcia served in the Senate of the Philippines. During World War II, in May 1942, Garcia was hunted by the Japanese military authority because of his loyalty to the Allied cause and his refusal to surrender and cooperate with the government. After the war he participated in several missions to Washington to work for the approval of the Philippine Rehabilitation and War Damage Claims. He was a delegate to the World Conference at San Francisco to draft the charter of the United Nations Organization in May 1945. He acted as presiding officer of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization Conference in Manila in 1954, which produced the Manila Treaty and the Pacific Charter. From 1947 to 1953 Garcia was vice president of the Nacionalista party directorate, and he also served in the Cabinet beginning in 1953 as vice president and secretary of foreign affairs. When he was in the Senate, he was chairman and member of numerous key committees, among them government reorganization, foreign affairs, public works, army and navy, and justice. He was also a member of the Senate Electoral Tribunal. From 1946 to 1951 Garcia served as minority floor leader of the Senate. Succeeded President When President Magsaysay was killed in an airplane accident on March 17, 1957, Garcia became his successor, having been elected vice president in November 1953. In the elections of 1957 Garcia won over three other candidates and became fourth president of the republic since its independence in 1946. Garcia's main achievement before he became president involved his activities as foreign policy expert for the government. As secretary of foreign affairs, he opened formal reparation negotiations in an effort to end the nine-year technical state of war between Japan and the Philippines, leading to an agreement in April 1954. During the Geneva Conference on Korean unification and other Asian problems, Garcia as chairman of the Philippine delegation attacked communist promises in Asia and defended the U.S. policy in the Far East. In a speech on May 7, 1954, the day of the fall of Dien Bien Phu, Garcia repeated the Philippine stand for nationalism and opposition of communism. Garcia acted as chairman of the eight-nation Southeast Asian Security Conference held in Manila in September 1954, which led to the development of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, known as SEATO. Garcia's cardinal principles in foreign affairs, as announced in a speech on November 30, 1957, were "to maintain and improve Philippine-American relations" and "to foster closer ties with our Asian neighbors." Stressed Austerity, Nationalism Garcia's administration was characterized by its austerity program and its insistence on a comprehensive nationalist policy. On March 3, 1960, he affirmed the need for complete economic freedom and added that the government no longer would tolerate the dominance of foreign interests (especially American) in the national economy. He promised to shake off "the yoke of alien domination in business, trade, commerce and industry." Garcia was also credited with his role in reviving Filipino cultural arts. The prevalence of graft and corruption in the government, institutional carryover from previous administrations, and U.S. disfavor of his Filipino First Policy put Garcia on the defensive and led partly to his defeat in the 1961 elections. Garcia died in 1971 at the age of 74. Further Reading Extensive information on Garcia is in Eufronio Alip, ed., The Philippine Presidents from Aguinaldo to Garcia (1958); Jesús V. Merritt, Our Presidents: Profiles in History (1962); and Pedro A. Gagelonia, Presidents All (1967). See also Hernando J. Abaya, The Untold Philippine Story (1967). Further information can be found in Ester G. Maring and Joel M. Maring, eds., Historical and Cultural Dictionary of the Philippines (1973).

Fidel V. Ramos (1928- )

Fidel Valdez Ramos (born 1928) was inaugurated president of the Philippines in June 1992. He had the mandate to continue the democratic reforms gained by the country during Corazon Aquino's peaceful people-power revolution of 1986. The eighth president of the postwar Philippine Republic, Fidel Valdez Ramos was known as a hero of the 1986 people-power revolution, the bloodless coup that ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Corazon Aquino, the widow of Marcos' assassinated archenemy, was installed in the presidency at that time. People power was Ramos' idea of how to fight the weapons of the Marcos regime when the dictator, losing confidence in Constabulary Chief Fidel Ramos and his defense minister, Juan Ponce Enrile, set out to destroy them. Ramos asked Jaime Cardinal Sin to send people to protect their fortress, the Constabulary Camp at EDSA (Epifanio de los Santos Avenue). Cardinal Sin appealed to the people by radio, and millions of people surrounded the camp to protect Ramos, Enrile, and the soldiers who joined them. The people at EDSA thwarted tanks and armored vehicles, and in four days in 1986 caused the flight to Hawaii of Marcos and his family. Corazon C. Aquino, who may have won a controversial election against Marcos weeks before, became president, and democracy was restored after 20 years of autocratic rule. After the EDSA victory, "Eddie" Ramos, who had been a soldier all his adult life, served President Aquino as chief of staff of the armed forces of the Philippines and later as secretary of national defense. During the six years of Aquino's administration Ramos defeated seven coup attempts, two of them serious. His successful maneuvers against the coups earned for him the trust and confidence of President Aquino, who, towards the end of her term, openly supported him to be her successor to the presidency. Ramos won in the May 1992 elections over six other candidates, garnering only 24 percent of the votes but winning 800,000 votes more than his closest rival. Within his first year in office he was able to win over to his side a majority of the people, who developed confidence in his government. He gained their support through a strategy of reconciliation and a strong hands-on leadership. The restoration of democracy was a long, difficult task, while at the same time Ramos had to attend to major economic and social problems that had grown during the Marcos years. Under Ramos' presidential leadership, the Phillipines became known as the "Asian Tiger." He was widely credited for reviving the country's economy, and it grew at a brisk pace of seven percent annually through the mid-1990s. Admirers of his businesslike approach called him "Steady Eddie," and many foreign investors poured money into the country. He also ended crippling regulation of the telecommunications, banking, insurance, shipping and oil industries. Meanwhile, Ramos quieted long-standing troubles with Communist guerrillas, right-wing military offices and Muslim separatists, making life in the Phillippines more stable than it had been in decades. Ramos grew up with a sense of government. His father served the Philippine Republic in the 1960s as secretary of national defense. He also came to the job of president educationally prepared, with a degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and an engineering degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. In a country where law is the typical training for the presidency, Ramos came with atypical qualifications. He had only a short stint as a member of a political party, the ruling LDP (Lakas ng Demokratikong Pilipino or Fight of Democratic Filipinos), which then spurned him as their nominee for the presidency. However, Ramos ascended to the highest post in the land via a new party, the Lakas ng EDSA (Strength of EDSA) or NUCD (National Union of Christian Democrats). Lastly, in a country that was 85 percent Catholic, Ramos was the first Protestant president. He was married and the father of five daughters. The unusual people-power revolution at EDSA enabled an unusual person like Ramos to lead the Philippines. In December 1996, Ramos had surgery to remove a life-threatening blockage in the artery to his brain, but he recovered. Near the end of his term, supporters advocated changing the country's young Constitution to allow him to run for a second six-year term in 1998. They wanted to continue his steady leadership and the Phillippine economic rennaissance, arguing that no other candidate could fill his shoes as president. However, many others, including former president Aquino and the nation's 100 Roman Catholic bishops, strongly objected. They urged respect for the Constitution, warning any such change could plunge the country back to a Marcos-like dictatorship. Ramos, ever low-key, did not reveal his plans, but told reporters "I would not want the policies, the momentum, the tremendous progress we have achieved wasted." Further Reading For a biography of Ramos before his election see Jose Apolinario L. Lozada, Who's Afraid of Eddie Ramos? (Manila, 1991). The president's own writing may be found in Fidel V. Ramos, To Win the Future: People Empowerment for National Development (Manila, 1993). See also The First 365 Days (Manila, Office of the Press Secretary, 1993). Accounts of Ramos' years as president can be found in The New York Times (Dec. 26, 1996 and April 4, 1997); The Economist (April 12, 1997); Business Week (Oct. 28, 1996); and Newsweek (Dec. 2, 1996).

Emilio Aguinaldo (1869-1964)

First President of the Republic of the Philippines 12 June 1898 - 23 March 1901 Born : Friday, Snto , March 26, 1869 ( big - according to his partida de baptism , from the records of the parish of Hook also correlated by the statement of his mother , he sinilang on March 22 ) in Kawit , Cavite . Parents : Carlos Aguinaldo and Trinidad Famy wife : Hilaria del Rosario , died in 1921 Maria Agoncillo , niece of Don Felipe Agoncillo : married in 1930 education : Taught at an early age by his mother literacy Attended the public schools of the Hook College of San Juan de Letran Some Features Side of Life Nabinat smallpox disease and almost died at the age of three causes - rising in shipbuilding in 1872 Caveti Stop - when he was studying in third taonsa Letran sahi death of father in 1878 Helped the widowed mother - taking care of their farm was rented from Recoletos priests and managing his small pagwaan of panocha Buy a small boat which used to trade as fro Mindoro , Mindanao and Cavite Traveling from Manila to trade the balabaw and other types of wood Features n Parts Propresyon Cebeza de Barangay , the role of his mother bought for him to avoid his mandatory pagkakatawag to serve hokbong of Espania Capitan Municipal , the first - before the hook ( January 1894 ) Join a guild of Mason : used the name " Colon " derived from Columbus.Itinala Andres Bonifacio as a member of the Katipunan : select the " Magdalo " as a national revolutionary excerpt from Sta . Magdalena , the patro the Hook Leader of the Magdalo of Cavite collection Led his army to win the Battle of the Hook . Cape and laid wait in Cavite President of the revolutionary government , kapulupangTejeros ( 22 March 1897 ) Accepted the offer of Spanish deals Bayak to Rock Consented to be consistent within a Hong Kong pagkakapataponpagkakataponn replacement of damaged people he used to purchase weapons Americans demanded his help at the outbreak of the Spanish American War and PilipinasNagbalik no country and proclaimed its independence ( June 12 1898 ) President of the Republic of the Philippines independence and constitution of the Malolos Congress (January 23,1899 ) War Club Filipino - American war and guerrilla approaches Aguinaldo Gen. Frederick Funston captured in Palanan , Isabela ( 23 March 1901 ) by using iang elaborate scheme of deception Manage first rebulika the Philippines Retired to private life after establishment of the colonial government of America Died on February 6, 1964 in Quezon City atakie causes heart . Other responses : Emilio F. Aguinaldo - (1869 - 1964) He was the first President of the Republic of the Philippines . He was born on March 22 , 1869 in Kawit , Cavite . He was the seventh of eight children of Carlos Aguinaldo and Trinidad Famy . Studied it in the private schools in their area and have continued to Colegei de San Juan de Letran in Manila . Became gobernadorcillo of Kawit , Cavite her father and her much older sister Crispulo . Cabesa de Barangay of laid wait , Cavite turn him over eight years and he also became Capitan Municipal of Kawit . In 1896 he married del Rosario Niaria have five children , three women and two men . When he mabiyudo , he married Maria Agoncillo in 1921 . Aguinaldo joined in 1894 and James Alvarez Noveleta , Cavita also includes cousin Baldomero Aguinaldo KKK , they secretly promotes movement in Cavite . They built Cavite Chapter is the Magdalo group . August 31 , 1896, the group nagrebolusyon hook Aguinaldo , Cavite after the " First Cry of Pugadlawin " . Revolutionary Government of the Philippines established on March 22,1897 and the President Aguinaldo . Centered in Cavite Aguinaldo government but was forced to move it to the Biak -na-Bato , Bulacan Mountains for showdown with forces of Aguinaldo and the Spanish soldiers . December 14 , 1897 nagkaron agreement Biak na Bato . The agreement of the Spanish and the Philippines will stop the fight ( cease- fire ) , promised the aliens try to get a change in government , expelled the friars and abusive officers . Aguinaldo and some selected staff in Hong Kong exchange . But this agreement was not kept due to violation of both parties ( not given Filipinos all their weapons , rather than the money earned and bought lots of weapons . Arrested again by the Spanish nagsuko the Filipinos their guns . ) again Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines with the Americans , they are the tumolong in against the Spanish . Soon again captured Aguinaldo provinces except Manila . June 12, 1898 established the first government in the province of Bacoor , Cavite . Here first waved the flag of the Philippines and first heard the National Anthem of the Philippines . August 13,1898 Spanish surrendered to the Americans and the government moved to Malolos , Bulacan and it declared the Republic of the Philippines , January 23 , 1899 became President Emilio Aguinaldo . Died February 6,1964 Emilio Aguinaldo .

José P. Laurel (1891-1959)

Jose Paciano Laurel y Garcia ( March 9, 1891 - November 6, 1959 ) was president of the Republic of the Philippines under the Japanese from 1943 to 1945. Laurel was born in Tanauan , Batangas on March 9, 1891 the son of Sotero Laurel and Jacoba Garcia . He graduated from law school in U.P. in 1915 . He was instantly killed . Then , Interior Secretary Appointed by Governor . Hen . Wood in 1923 and became an Associate Justice in 1935 . He served as President of the Supreme Court at the outbreak of the Second World War and appointed him Secretary of Justice of Mumbai before leaving . Laurel chose the Japanese to serve as president of the Second Republic of the Philippines . He protected the interests of the country in the midst of the brutality of the Japanese . Jailed him as " collaborators " after the war but freed by President Roxas in 1948 . On November 6, 1959 , died Laurel serious heart attack and stroke . Other responses : Biography of Jose P Laurel - Famous Pinoy Jose P Laurel is also one of the famous Pinoy President jurist , administrator , writer , lawyer , statesman , and educator , Dr. Jose P. Laurel was born on March 9th 1891 to Tanauan , Batangas . He completed his law studies at the University of the Philippines and took his masteral the Escuela de Derecho law , and then is non Philiosophy doctor at the University of Santo Tomas , and Doctor of Law at Tokyo Imperial University . Before the Second World War international , the president was Manuel L. Quezon appointed him justice related to the Supreme Court . On October 14, 1943 he became president of the Republic of the Philippines during the Japanese occupation , the war he dubbed Filipino people on his work as a " collaborator . " Joseph P. Laurel and his companions were named Camilo Osias , Benigno S. Queno , SR and Matthew Capinpin general attempted to escape but he failed to get their way by the Japanese and sent back to the Philippines . They were imprisoned and tried and judged in person court . Lorenzo Tañada includes prosecution managers as Claro M. Quintin Paredes Recto , and Vicente Francisco act as its legal counsels . In the spirit of reconciliation and to unite the nation , President Roxas was granted them absolute parole . Mr. Joseph . Laurel nalitaw himself as a legislator who advocated women 's suffrage . He was one of those who voted in favor of cutting Hare - existing Act , and sponsored the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of the Philippines . In the year 1951 he was re-elected as senator . In the year 1953, he was appointed as Chairman Ramon Magsaysay Economics Mission to the United States . He signed an agreement called the Laurel - Langley agreement on January 1, 1956. It was he who founded the Nation Economics Development Authority ( NEDA ) and the Philippines Banking Corporation . As an educator , he founded the Lyceum of the Philippines and even the chancellor emeritus of the Nation's Teachers College . On November 6, 1956 Jose P. Laurel died of heart failure in manila .

Manuel Roxas (1892-1948)

Manuel Acuna Roxas nabbilang also set a famous pinoy president , Manuel Acuna Roxas is a native of Capiz , Manuel Roxas nakapagaral the University of Singapore . His political career began when he was elected Speaker of the Philippines House of Representatives from 1922 to 1934 . During that time , Manuel Acuna Roxas became an Associate of the Philippines states . Manuel Luis Quezon also appointed him Secretary of Finance . During the outbreak of war between Japan and the United States , Manuel Acuna Roxas joined the staff of General Douglas MacArthur us . He served distraction and destruction unsuccessful defense against the Japanese invasion of the Philippines and he was captured by Japanese in the year 1942. While he was in the Japanese Government subsequently a doll , he was cleared of the collaborationist that's the goal after the war and was elected to the presidency of the Philippines in the Commonwealth in 1946 . On July 4 the same year , the independence of the Philippines was declared . Manuel Acuna Roxas became the first President of the Third Republic of the Philippines . He advocated the establishment of close political and economic ties to the United States he died of heart failure while in office .

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (1947- )

Profile Educated in the United States, former Filipino president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was a controversial leader who resisted several military coups. She assumed the presidency after the resignation of Joseph Estrada in 2000 and maintained power for 10 years.

Sergio Osmeña (1878-1961)

Sergio Osmena , Sr. . was the second president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines ( 1 August 1944 - 28 May 1946 ) . He was born on September 9 , 1878 in Cebu City . Osmeña will lead the graduates in his primary school. Studied Secondary Seminario San Carlos in Cebu . He went to Manila and studied at San Juan de Letran , where he met siManuel L. Mumbai . When the Philippine Revolution broke out in 1896 , returned to Cebu Osmeña . He sent the local leadership of Cebu for Emilio Aguinaldo proclaim the situation in Cebu . In 1900 , became guardian publisher and editor of the newspaper El Nuevo she Dia . Twenty -five years old he has maatasang pagkapiskal acting governor and the province of Cebu . Two years later , he became governor of the province . He resigned his position as governor to establish the Assembly Filipina in 1907 . He ran and winning representative of the second district of Cebu . He was elected speaker of the assembly , a position he held for the next 15 years . He became senator from 1923 to 1935. He Tinanghal " Senate President Protempore " noong1923 - 1933. He also was a member of the Mission OsRox ( Osmeña - Roxas ) , one of the missions sent to the United States to campaign for the independence of the Philippines . He was elected vice-president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines in 1935 . During World War II , he was with President Manuel L. Mumbai to United States . Quezon died of tuberculosis on August 1, 1944 and Osmeña succeeded him . former President Osmena and the cabinet with the final pandigmang continue our pagapapalaya Army Armed Forces of the Philippines , the United States and the Ally forces in conjunction with the Filipino guerrillas and the Hukbalahap from the Philippines Liberation Campaign pursue fighting Japanese , Filipinos Together with him General of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Basilio J. Valdes and was General Carlos P. Romulo also disembark the American forces landed on Leyte on October 20 1944. Osmena said president and other cabinet officials and Liberation Campaign started in the Philippines in 1944 to 1945 between the Filipino soldiers , American and guerrilla forces they oppose the Hapones. Template : Fact He served as president countries to have elections on April 23 1946. Preparation providing independence of the United States . He ran for the presidency , but lost to Manuel Roxas . Defeat Roxas , Osmeña rested at his home in Cebu .

Ferdinand Marcos (1917-1989)

Synopsis A lawyer, a member of the Philippine House of Representatives (1949-1959) and a member of the Philippine Senate (1959-1965), Ferdinand Marcos became the president of the Philippines in 1966, a post he held until 1986, when his people rose against his dictatorial rule and he fled. CONTENTS Synopsis Early Life Entering Politics Ascension to the Presidency State of the Regime and Downfall Early Life Ferdinand Marcos went to school in Manila and later attended law school at the University of the Philippines. His father, Mariano Marcos, was a Filipino politician, and on September 20, 1935, the day after Julio Nalundasan defeated Mariano Marcos for a seat in the National Assembly (for the second time), Nalundasan was shot and killed in his home. Ferdinand, Mariano and Ferdinand's brother and brother-in-law were tried for the assassination, and Ferdinand and his brother-in-law were found guilty of the murder. Ferdinand argued their case on appeal to the Philippine Supreme Court and won acquittal a year later. Remarkably, while Marcos was preparing his case, he was studying for the bar exam and became a trial lawyer in Manila subsequent to the acquittal. Entering Politics During World War II, Ferdinand Marcos served as an officer with the Philippine armed forces, later claiming that he had been a leader in the Filipino guerrilla resistance movement. These claims were a principal element in his subsequent political success, but it was revealed in U.S. government archives that he actually played little or no part in anti-Japanese activities during World War II. At the end of the war, when the American government granted the Philippines independence on July 4, 1946, the Philippine Congress was created. Marcos ran and was twice elected as representative to his district and served from 1949 to 1959. In 1959, Marcos took a seat in the Philippine Senate, a position he would hold until he ran for and won the presidency in 1965. Ascension to the Presidency After failing to attain the Liberal Party's nomination for president, Ferdinand Marcos ran as the Nationalist Party candidate. At the end of the expensive and bitter campaign, Marcos prevailed and was inaugurated on December 30, 1965. His first presidential term is notable mostly for his decision to send troops into the fray of the Vietnam War, a move he had previously opposed as a Philippine senator. Marcos was reelected in 1969, becoming the first Filipino president to serve a second term. Massive crowd violence, vote buying and fraud on Marcos' part, however, were prominent traits of his second campaign, which was funded with $56 million from the Philippine treasury. What arose from the campaign unrest became known as the First Quarter Storm, during which leftists took to the streets to demonstrate against both American involvement in Philippine affairs and the increasingly apparent dictatorial style of Ferdinand Marcos. State of the Regime and Downfall Ferdinand Marcos' wife, Imelda, became a powerful figure after martial law was decreed in 1972, often appointing her relatives to lucrative governmental and industrial positions (while accumulating upward of 1,000 pairs of shoes and several Manhattan skyscrapers). These acts were akin to Marcos' state-imposed "crony capitalism," by which private businesses were seized by the government and handed over to friends and relatives of regime members.

Elpidio Quirino (1890-1956)

Synopsis Born in 1890, Elpidio Quirino was elected to the Philippine Congress in 1919. He was part of the independence mission to Washington that freed the Philippines from American control in 1934. He then served as vice president under Manuel Roxas, becoming president upon Roxas' death in 1948. For six years, Quirino oversaw postwar reconstruction, but his administration suffered from corruption. CONTENTS Synopsis Profile QUOTES I have faith in the democratic process we have established and in the capacity of our people to perfect themselves in it. - Elpidio Quirino « prev1 / 3next » Profile Elpidio Quirino was born on November 16, 1890, in the small city of Vigan, on Luzon Island in the Philippines. His father, Don Mariano Quirino, was a warden at a provincial jail. His mother was Dona Gregoria Mendoza Rivera Quirino. Young Elpidio graduated from elementary school in nearby Caoayan. Advanced beyond his years, Elpidio became a barrio (rural village) teacher while studying at Vigan High School. Elpidio Quirino moved to Manila and graduated from Manila High School in 1911 and then passed the civil service exam. He entered law school at the University of the Philippines, graduating in 1915, and served as secretary to Senate President Manuel Quezon, where he began his rise through the Philippine government. In 1919, he was elected to the Philippine House of Representatives. In 1925, he was elected to the Philippine Senate and was quickly given Senate committee appointments. In 1931 Elpidio Quirino was reelected to the Senate, and in 1934 he served as a member of the Philippine Independence mission to Washington, D.C., helping secure the Tydings-McDuffie Act, which set the timetable for Philippine independence from the United States. Quirino was also one of the drafters of the Philippine constitution, which was approved in May 1935. In April 1942, the Philippines were captured by Japanese imperial forces. Elpidio Quirino refused to join the Japanese-sponsored "puppet government" of Jose Laurel and instead went underground. He was captured by Japanese military police and imprisoned. His wife, son and two daughters were killed by Japanese forces as they fled their home during the Battle of Manila in early 1945. After the war, Elpidio Quirino became the leader of the majority Liberal Party and president pro tempore of the Senate. Anticipating the country's impending independence, elections were held in April 1946, and Manuel Roxas was elected president, with Quirino as vice president. When President Roxas unexpectedly died in April 1948, Quirino became president. When he took office, Quirino had two goals: reconstructing the nation and restoring the faith and confidence of the people. However, Quirino soon faced impeachment, instituted by members of the rival Nationalist Party. Charges ranged from nepotism to misappropriation of funds, but after several months, he was exonerated of all charges. Elpidio Quirino was reelected president in November 1949, under suspicion of widespread election fraud and intimidation. As president, he attempted to improve social, economic and agrarian conditions. He also established relations with Western and Asian countries.

Ramon Magsaysay (1907-1957)

Synopsis Born in the Philippines on August 31, 1907, Ramon Magsaysay was the third president of the Philippines (1953-57), best known for successfully defeating the communist-led Hukbalahap (Huk) movement in his country and his popular appeal. He died in his country in 1957. CONTENTS Synopsis Early Life Leading Military Reform The Presidency Early Life Ramon Magsaysay was born Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay in Iba, a city in the Philippines, on August 31, 1907. After attending the University of the Philippines, Magsaysay transferred to the Institute of Commerce at José Rizal College (1928-1932), where he received a bachelor's degree in commerce. At the start of World War II, Magsaysay joined the motor pool of the 31st Infantry Division of the Philippine army. He was promoted to captain, and was involved in clearing the Zambales coast of the Japanese before to the landing of American forces there. Leading Military Reform Magsaysay was elected to the Philippine House of Representatives in 1946, and was later re-elected to a second term. During both terms, he was chairman of the House National Defense Committee. In 1950, Philippines President Elpidio Quirino appointed Magsaysay secretary of defense to deal with the threat of the Huks, whose leader, Luis Taruc, had called for the overthrow of the government. Magsaysay reformed the army, dismissing many officers and emphasizing mobility and adaptability in combat operations against the Huk guerrillas—tactics that he had learned in his own guerrilla efforts against the Japanese in World War II. From then until 1953, Magsaysay carried out one of the most effective anti-guerrilla campaigns in modern history; by 1953, the Huks were no longer a serious threat. Unfortunately, Magsaysay's sweeping measures had made many enemies for him within the government, and he resigned on February 28, 1953, later charging the Quirino Administration with corruption and incompetence. The Presidency Although Magsaysay was a liberal, the Nacionalista Party backed him for the presidency against Quirino in the 1953 elections, and Magsaysay prevailed. He promised reform in nearly every segment of Filipino life, but he was often thwarted by a congress that only represented the interests of the wealthy. Magsaysay did manage to enact agrarian reform, giving some 90,000 acres to 4,500 indigent families for settlement/farming purposes. He also set up a process to hear and address citizen grievances, and maintained a reputation for incorruptibility throughout his presidency, all of which went a long way toward ensuring his popularity. Sadly, Ramon Magsaysay's term came to an abrupt end on March 17, 1957, when his presidential plane crashed, killing Magsaysay and 24 other passengers. An estimated 5 million people attended Magsaysay's burial on March 31, 1957, and afterward, he was referred to in the Philippines as the "Idol of the Masses." In his honor, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, considered "Asia's Nobel Prize," was established in 1957. In the spirit of Ramon Magsaysay's leadership, the award recognizes integrity and courage among individuals and organizations in Asia.

Joseph Estrada (1937- )

Synopsis Joseph Estrada was born on April 19, 1937, in Manila, Philippines. Over the course of his prolific film career, he has acted the lead role in more than 80 films and produced over 70. In 1992, he ran for vice president and won. In 1998 he became president of the Philippines. In 2001 he was arrested and imprisoned for six years. He ran for re-election in 2010, but lost to Benigno Aquino III. CONTENTS Synopsis Early Life Film Career Politics Recent Years Early Life Joseph Estrada was born Joseph Marcelo Ejercito in the Tondo district of Manila, Philippines, on April 19, 1937. He was one of 10 children. Estrada's father, Emilio Ejercito, was a government engineer. His mother was named Maria Marcelo. Joseph's parents were wealthy landowners. When Joseph was still very young, his family moved to San Juan, which has since become a part of metropolitan Manila. Estrada received his primary education at a local Jesuit school called Ateneo de Manila University. After graduating from Ateneo de Manila, he enrolled in engineering courses at the Mapúa Institute of Technology. To his parents' grave disappointment, Estrada dropped out after three years. He was the only one of his siblings not to receive a college diploma. Film Career When Estrada was a young adult, he stumbled upon an acting role and enjoyed the sense of escapism that acting provided him. Quickly proving his acting prowess, he opted to pursue an acting career in lieu of completing his education. His parents strongly opposed to the decision and forbade him to use the family name. Instead, the fledgling actor took the screen name Joseph Estrada, "Estrada" being the Spanish word for "street." He also gave himself the nickname "Erap," a Spanish term for "pal" spelled backward. Over the course of his prolific film career, Estrada has acted the lead role in more than 80 films made in the Philippines, and has also produced more than 70 movies. "I have been a jeepney driver, labor leader, a Communist guerilla," Estrada said of his many roles, which often entailed playing a poor man seeking justice. He was awarded Best Actor and Best Film awards by the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Science (FAMAS) five times each, earning him spots in the FAMAS Hall of Fame in both 1981 and 1984. Politics In 1967, Estrada used his popularity with audiences to garner votes in the San Juan mayoral elections. He served as mayor for 17 years, during which time he focused largely on education and health care reform. In 1987 Estrada became a national politician when he took a seat in the Philippine Senate. During his five-year stint in the Senate, Estrada served as chairman of the Committee on Rural Development and Committee on Cultural Communities, as well as the vice chair of the Committee on Health and Committee on Natural Resources and Ecology. In 1992 Estrada ran for vice president and won. He retained the position for the next six years. As vice president, Estrada led the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission and was responsible for a number of high-profile criminal arrests.

Corazon Aquino (1933-2009)

Synopsis Maria Corazon Aquino was born January 25, 1933, in Tarlac, Philippines. Her husband had been an opponent of Ferdinand Marcos and was assassinated upon returning from exile. When Marcos unexpectedly called for elections in 1986, Corazon Aquino became the unified opposition's presidential candidate. She took office after Marcos fled the country, and served as president, with mixed results, until 1992. CONTENTS Synopsis Early Years Unlikely Political Careers Final Years QUOTES As I came to power peacefully, so shall I keep it. - Corazon Aquino Early Years Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco was born January 25, 1933, in the Tarlac Province to a wealthy political and banking family. She attended school in Manila until the age of 13, then finished her education in the United States, first in Philadelphia and later in New York City. She graduated from the College of Mount St. Vincent in New York in 1953, with a bachelor's degree in both French and mathematics. Upon returning to the Philippines, she enrolled in law school in Manila, where she met Benigno Aquino, Jr., an ambitious young journalist who also came from a family with considerable wealth. The couple married in 1954, and would go on to have five children together: one son and four daughters. Benigno soon abandoned a career in journalism for politics. With Corazon at his side, he quickly established himself as one of the country's brightest young leaders. Over the span of just two decades, he was elected mayor, then governor and, finally, senator. Along the way, he challenged the rule of the country's president, Ferdinand Marcos. Elected to the presidency in 1965, Marcos' administration was marred by corruption, human rights violations and political repression. In 1972 Marcos declared martial law, effectively stripping his citizens of their democratic rights and arresting key opposition leaders, including Benigno Aquino, who spent seven years in jail before being permitted to relocate with his family to the United States in 1980. Corazon Aquino stood by her husband's side, playing the role of the supportive wife. During his time in prison, Aquino served as the bridge between Benigno and the outside world, keeping his profile alive and passing his notes on to the press. Unlikely Political Careers After three years in exile, Benigno Aquino returned to the Philippines on August 21, 1983, when he was killed by two soldiers soon after arriving. Marcos was presumed to be behind the killing, and Benigno's assassination set off a wave of protests against Marcos' administration. The opposition coalesced around Corazon Aquino. While she gracefully dealt with her husband's death, Aquino evolved into a national symbol of reform. With international pressure bearing down on his administration, Marcos unexpectedly called for presidential elections in February 1986. Marcos' opposition chose Aquino as their candidate. When she narrowly lost the election, Aquino and her supporters challenged the results. Quickly, Marco's fortunes began to turn. The army, and then the defense minister, soon declared support for Aquino, prompting Marcos to seek exile in Hawaii.