Corazon Aquino became the 11th President of the Philippines, and the first female President in Asia, on February 25, 1986. Aquino came to power following the 20-year authoritarian rule of President Ferdinand Marcos, helping to restore democracy to the Philippines. Aquino’s rise to presidency began with tragedy. Aquino’s husband, Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr., was a staunch critic of President Marcos who was assassinated on August 21, 1983, following a return from exile in the United States. At the time of her husband’s death, Corazon Aquino was a self-proclaimed “plain housewife” who was raising the couple’s five children. In this video, Aquino discusses how she made her decision to run for President. Aquino passed away from colon cancer on August 1, 2009. Her son, Benigno Aquino III, has been President of the Philippines since June 30, 2010.
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