Abby Connolly
After her husband’s death, Corazon returned to the Philippines and began strongly campaigning against President Marcos. She participated in the People Power Revolution and was a part of many peaceful protests and demonstrations against the Marcos administration.
Before long, tons of people in the revolution encouraged Corazon to run against Ferdinand Marcos for president, and over a million people supported her by signing a petition.
An election was held for Corazon and President Marcos in February of 1986, and significant voting fraud occurred. President Marcos verbally attacked Corazon during his campaign, stating that Corazon couldn’t handle being president because she was a woman.
After the polls closed, Corazon was believed to be the winner, but President Marcos was officially declared to have won the election. He even called upon President Ronald Reagan, who gave him support.
Disappointed in the election results, many peaceful protests against President Marcos and the fraudulent election occurred within the Philippines. President Marcos eventually retreated to the United States to live in exile.
On February 25th, 1986, Corazon was sworn in as President Corazon Aquino, the first female president of the Philippines. President Corazon served for one term and reinstated the country’s constitution. Although many of former President Marcos’ supporters tried to run her out of office, she stayed strong and focused on issues that meant a lot to her, like lowering violence rates and external debt in her country.
Toward the end of her presidency, Corazon was criticized for her economic policies and was succeeded as president by her former defense secretary, Fidel Ramos. Corazon stayed active in the political scene following her presidency, speaking at rallies and standing behind candidates she believed in, including her only son, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, who became a senator in 2007.
Corazon was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2008 and passed away in 2009 at the age of 76. She’s since been recognized and honored with memorials and many public landmarks named after her. What a fascinating life she led!
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