Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

Benigno Aquino, Jr. (1932–83), popularly known as Ninoy Aquino, was a Filipino patriot and politician, considered the most prominent oppositionist senator in the Philippines during the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos. He is recognized as one of the rallying symbols of the Philippine People Power Revolution and regarded as a national hero, with the anniversary of his death commemorated as a national holiday called Ninoy Aquino Day. Aquino was born to an upper-class family of landowners and politicians in Concepción, Tarlac, Philippines on November 27, 1932. His father was Benigno Aquino, Sr., a former senator of the American-backed Philippine Commonwealth and speaker of the National Assembly of the Japanese-sponsored Philippine Republic. His mother was the equally prominent Aurora Aquino, who was his father's second wife and third cousin. Aquino was the second of seven children. He had two brothers and four sisters who all became noted personalities in Filipino arts, business, or politics. He got his elementary education from St. Joseph's College and De La Salle College and received his high school education from San Beda College. For his tertiary education, Aquino pursued liberal arts at the Ateneo de Manila but did not graduate. At age 17 he was the youngest foreign correspondent to cover the Korean War for the newspaper the Manila Times. In recognition of his achievements as ... log in or subscribe to read full text