The 15th and current President of the Philippines is Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III. He is descended from a four-generation, well-known, and powerful political family. His great-grandfather Servillano “Mianong” Aquino served as a delegate to the “Malolos Congress.” While Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr., his father, was a senator, Benigno Aquino, Sr. served as the speaker of the Philippine “House of Representatives.” From 1986 to 1992, his mother Corazon Aquino served as the nation’s 11th president. After going into self-exile, he lived in the US for a while with his family, but after his father was killed, he returned to the Philippines and began working for private companies. As an elected representative to the “House of Representatives” in 1998, he made his first political statement from Tarlac province’s 2nd district. He served as the House’s representative for the ensuing two terms before being disqualified in 2007 due to term limits. He participated in the 14th Congress as a senator. He continued to serve as the “Liberal Party’s” chairman and vice president for Luzon while also holding the positions of secretary general and vice president. He took over as the country’s 15th President after Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Early Childhood & Life
He was the only son of Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. and Corazon Cojuangco’s five children and was born on February 8, 1960, in Sampaloc, Manila. His father served as Tarlac’s vice governor at the time and later as a senator from 1967 until 1972. From 1986 to 1992, his mother served as the country’s 11th president.
He completed all of his schooling at the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City, from elementary school through college, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1981. He was Gloria Macapagal-former Arroyo’s pupil when the latter was a university professor of economics.
His father had been a well-known figure in the resistance to President Ferdinand Marcos’ administration when he was detained on subversion charges in September 1972. In August 1973, Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. appeared before a military court at “Fort Bonifacio.”
After enduring numerous cardiac episodes, his father was ultimately granted permission to relocate to the US for medical treatment. After graduating, he joined his family who had since lived in self-exile in the US.
On August 21, 1983, his father was shot and killed; shortly after, the family returned to the Philippines.
After his return, he worked for a number of companies, including Nike Philippines, Inc., Mondragon Industries Philippines, Inc., and the Philippine Business for Social Progress.
He served as vice president of his uncle Antolin Oreta Jr.’s business, “Intra-Strata Assurance Corporation,” from 1986 to 1992.
On August 28, 1987, when a cunning military coup attempted to seize control of the “Malacaang Palace” during his mother’s presidency, he was the victim of a savage assault. Five bullets seriously wounded him, and three of his four security guards were killed. He still has one of these bullets in his neck.
He worked as an executive assistant for “Central Azucarera de Tarlac” from 1993 to 1996. From 1996 to 1998, he was the field service manager.
Career of Benigno Aquino III
He was elected to the “House of Representatives” in 1998 from Tarlac province’s 2nd district, a position he held for the next two terms as well.
He served the House as the Deputy Speaker beginning on November 8, 2004. To join the “Liberal Party,” he resigned from his job on February 21, 2006, as the Hello Garci affair, which accused President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of manipulating the 2004 national election in Garci’s favor, grew more serious. The president’s resignation was demanded by the “Liberal Party.”
The “Central Luzon Congressional Caucus” board was presided over by him.
Because of term limits, he was ineligible to run for the House in 2007. He was elected to the Senate on May 15 of that year, at the midterm elections. He spoke for the “Genuine Opposition,” a grouping of parties that included the “Liberal Party.” The group aimed to prevent President Arroyo from changing the Philippine Constitution of 1986.
The “Budget Impoundment and Control Act” (SB 3121), “Preservation of Public Infrastructures bill” (SB 2035), and “Philippine National Police” reform bill are just a few of the bills he helped draft that is developmental and reformatory.
The ‘Liberal Party’ chose Mar Roxas as their presidential candidate, but after the passing of Aquino’s mother, a surge in support for Aquino to run for president of the Philippines—known as the ‘Noynoy Phenomenon—followed.
On August 27, 2009, a group of lawyers and activists, including Edgardo “Eddie” Roces, established the “Noynoy Aquino for President Movement.” The group that collected millions of signatures in support of his presidency ran a national campaign. Finally, he announced his candidacy for president on September 9.
During his election campaign, numerous fake psychiatric reports claiming that he was mentally ill circulated, but Aquino rejected them by pointing to the rivals’ bad intentions and attempts.
He was declared the winner of the election on May 10, 2010, while Jejomar Binay was named the vice president by the “Congress of the Philippines” on June 9. He named his cabinet members on June 29 and appointed himself “Secretary of the Interior and Local Government,” a role he held from June 30 to July 9.
He declined to take the conventional oath of office administered by the Chief Justice because he disagreed with the midnight appointment of Renato Corona as Chief Justice by outgoing President Arroyo. In accordance with his request, Conchita Carpio-Morales, the “Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines,” administered the oath of office to him on June 30, 2010, becoming him the nation’s fifteenth president.
As opposed to the Malacaang Palace, which is the president’s official residence, he is the first president to choose the “Bahay Pangarap” (literally House of Dreams) in Malacaang Park as his presidential mansion.
The “Metropolitan Manila Development Authority” enforced the “no wang-wang” policy he created to limit the use of blaring sirens by seizing any such device from public and private vehicles that were not authorized to use it. Despite his position of responsibility, he continued to drive his white Toyota Land Cruiser 200 rather than the designated presidential limousine, a black Mercedes Benz S-Guard.
He appointed Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. to lead a truth commission that will look into claims of corruption against Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, his predecessor.
In his first “State of the Nation Address” (SONA), delivered on July 26, 2010, at Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City, the president stated that he wanted to implement a K–12 education cycle in the nation’s educational system.
On August 16, 2010, he established his own official presidential website in order to solicit comments, opinions, and complaints from the broader public.
During his service as president, he carried out a number of decrees, such as establishing the “Truth Commission,” ending midnight appointments and revoking “Executive Order No. 883,” which had been in effect under President Arroyo. He supported the “Reproductive Health Bill” even though he was worried about being excommunicated from the Catholic Church. He also authorized October 2, 2010, to be observed as “Nationwide Philhealth Registration Day.”
On August 23, 2010, Rolando Mendoza, a disgruntled former police officer, abducted a tour bus in Manila’s Rizal Park, sparking the Manila crisis. Rolando and eight hostages were killed in the ensuing gun battle, which also resulted in injuries to other people. Aquino later authorized all Philippine institutions and embassies to mark August 25, 2010, as a national day of mourning by signing “Proclamation No. 23.”
He traveled to the US in September 2010 together with his entourage. There, a deal with the “Millennium Challenge Corporation” was signed, bringing his government $434 million in funding for a range of initiatives, including infrastructure development, revenue production, and poverty alleviation. On September 24, in New York City, he delivered a speech before the 65th “General Assembly” of the United Nations. He and US President Barack Obama spoke privately during the “2nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations” event in New York City.
In October 2010, he traveled to Vietnam where he met with President Nguyn Minh Trit, signed four memoranda of understanding, and made speeches at various ASEAN summits that were held there.
On July 25, 2011, he delivered his second “State of the Nation Address” (SONA) at Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.
Personal Legacy & Life
Despite being single, Benigno Aquino III has been in relationships. He has been dating German-Filipina beauty Pia Wurtzbach since 2015.
He actively enjoys shooting and pooling, but more recently, he has demonstrated a fondness for video games. He enjoys listening to music while also being a history enthusiast.
Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III Net Worth
A politician from the Philippines named Noynoy Aquino has a $1.2 million fortune. Born on February 8, 1960, in Manila to a political family, Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III has served as the country’s 15th president since 2010. In 1981, when he accompanied his family in their exile to the United States, Aquino earned his BA in Economics from Ateneo de Manila University before becoming a fourth-generation politician.
Trivia
He was listed among the “100 Most Influential People in the World” by “TIME” in 2013.