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| Administration of Corazon Aquino | |
|---|---|
| Name | Corazon Aquino |
| Office | 11th President of the Philippines |
| Term start | February 25, 1986 |
| Term end | June 30, 1992 |
| Predecessor | Ferdinand Marcos |
| Successor | Fidel V. Ramos |
| Birth date | January 25, 1933 |
| Birth place | Tarlac, Commonwealth of the Philippines |
| Death date | August 1, 2009 |
| Party | United Nationalist Democratic Organization |
Administration of Corazon Aquino
Corazon "Cory" Aquino led a transitional presidency that followed the People Power Revolution, marking the end of the Fourth Republic of the Philippines and the authoritarian rule of Ferdinand Marcos. Her term was defined by efforts to restore democratic institutions, draft a new constitution, address persistent fiscal crises, negotiate with armed movements, and reorient relations with regional and global actors such as the United States, Japan, and the United Nations. Aquino's tenure intersected with key personalities and entities including Salvador Laurel, Benigno Aquino Jr., Enrile, Ramos, and institutions like the Philippine Constabulary, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
Aquino emerged as a national figure after the assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr. in 1983, mobilizing support from political figures such as Salvador Laurel, activists from Bantayog ng mga Bayani circles, leaders of the Lakas–CMD movement, and members of the United Nationalist Democratic Organization. Her candidacy in the 1986 snap election pitted her against Ferdinand Marcos and involved campaign alliances with opposition leaders including Jose W. Diokno, Aquino (family), and clerical dissenters from the Catholic Church in the Philippines like Cardinal Jaime Sin. Mass mobilizations drew participants from urban constituencies such as Manila, provincial hubs like Cebu, and civil society groups including the Free Legal Assistance Group and student organizations at the University of the Philippines.
Following the contested January 1986 election and the defection of military figures such as Juan Ponce Enrile and Fidel V. Ramos, Aquino assumed the presidency after the EDSA Revolution and established a provisional framework that dissolved multiple institutions loyal to Marcos. Her revolutionary government confronted holdouts including Imee Marcos loyalists, remnants of the New People's Army, and private armies linked to regional strongmen like Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. and Danding Cojuangco. Aquino appointed a cabinet featuring technocrats and opposition leaders such as Joaquin Bernas, Jaime Ongpin, and Cesar Virata while engaging the Commission on Elections and the Senate of the Philippines to stabilize governance.
One of Aquino's central initiatives was convening a constitutional commission chaired by figures like Jose Nolledo and Cecilia Muñoz-Palma to draft the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines, restoring institutions such as the Congress of the Philippines, the House of Representatives of the Philippines, and the Senate of the Philippines, and reasserting judicial authority in the Supreme Court of the Philippines. The constitution included provisions affecting the Bangsamoro region, civil liberties advocated by groups like Karapatan, and constraints on executive power in reaction to the Martial Law in the Philippines. Reforms also targeted the Commission on Elections, the Civil Service Commission, and anti-corruption mechanisms debated in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
Aquino inherited severe economic dislocations, including a sovereign debt crisis linked to policies of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, capital flight affecting Manila Stock Exchange activity, and agrarian tensions in provinces like Luzon and Mindanao. Her administration pursued fiscal stabilization measures under finance officials such as Jaime Ongpin and engaged with creditors including the Paris Club and bondholders in restructuring talks influenced by advisors with ties to Asian Development Bank initiatives. Land reform efforts revived the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program framework, while privatization and investment promotion involved agencies like the Board of Investments and attracted interest from corporations such as San Miguel Corporation and Ayala Corporation.
Aquino negotiated multiple peace processes targeting the Moro National Liberation Front, the Mindanao conflict, and communist insurgency led by the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People's Army. Key interlocutors included MNLF leader Nur Misuari, MILF figures later connected to Hashim Salamat, and negotiators from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process; ceasefire agreements and talks were held under the auspices of international actors such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the United Nations Development Programme. The administration faced coup attempts from factions within the Armed Forces of the Philippines, including plots associated with Gringo Honasan and the Reform the Armed Forces Movement, requiring interventions by figures like Fidel V. Ramos and prompting security sector reforms.
Aquino recalibrated diplomatic relations with the United States by negotiating base agreements affecting Clark Air Base and Subic Bay Naval Base, while engaging regional partners including Japan, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and leaders such as Lee Kuan Yew and Mahathir Mohamad. Her government leveraged multilateral institutions like the United Nations to seek development assistance and legitimacy, participated in economic forums such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation precursor discussions, and navigated territorial issues involving the South China Sea and diplomatic overtures to the People's Republic of China. Human rights concerns raised by organizations like Amnesty International and domestic groups shaped bilateral aid and military cooperation with donor states including Australia and Norway.
Aquino's presidency is credited with restoring constitutional democracy, empowering civil society networks such as the National Union of Students of the Philippines, strengthening electoral institutions like the Commission on Elections (Philippines), and setting precedents for peaceful transitions seen in later administrations including Fidel V. Ramos and Benigno Aquino III. Her era influenced judicial decisions in the Supreme Court of the Philippines, inspired commemorations at locations like EDSA Shrine, and remains a focal point in debates involving the Aquino family legacy, transitional justice discussions related to the Human Rights Victims' Claims Board, and scholarship on post-authoritarian recovery by analysts connected to universities such as the University of the Philippines Diliman and Ateneo de Manila University.
Category:Presidencies of the Philippines