Former Phillipines president Corazon Aquino has died, at the age of 76. Her son, Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, said his mother died at 3:18 AM Saturday local time.
Corazon Aquino led a "people power" in 1986. It ended the repressive 20-year-old regime of Ferdinand Marcos. She was also the first female president of the Philippines.
Corazon Aquino entered politics when in 1983 her husband Benigno was assassinated as he tried to challenge the Marco regime. Aquino was Time magazine’s Woman of the Year in 1986.
Once in office, however, Corazon Aquino had to fight off seven coup attempts in six years. Benito Lim, a political science professor at Ateneo de Manila University, said:
“She was not prepared for the presidency. She did what she could with almost no experience but was guided by political and economic vested interests, including the Catholic Church. Because she was put in power by the military, that’s why there were so many coup attempts.”
Corazon Aquino was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer in 2008. She has been confined to a Manila hospital for more than a month.
Phillipines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared a period of national mourning. In a way, that's ironic. Until diagnosed with colon cancer, Corazon Aquino joined rallies calling for the resignation of Arroyo over allegations of vote-rigging and corruption.
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