Some contributions of Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. include his reporting on the Korean War at age 17, his appointment to mayor at age 22 and his tireless opposition to corrupt Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos between 1966 and his death in 1983. In 1967, he also became the youngest senator in the history of the Philippines.Continue Reading
Perhaps his most enduring contribution to the political landscape of the Philippines, however, came after his assassination. Almost immediately upon his return from the United States in 1983, Aquino was shot dead at an airport in Manila, sparking outrage among the Filipino people and precipitating a profound loss of public trust in Marcos.
Although an independent inquiry publicly revealed that General Fabian Ver (Marcos's cousin) was behind the murder, Ver was acquitted of the crime and permitted to retain his position as the regime's military chief of staff. Marcos himself was not implicated in the assassination, but had irrevocably lost the trust of the Philippine people.
As a result, public demand grew for his replacement and in 1986 Corazon Aquino (Benigno's wife) was elected president, effectively ending the Marcos regime and initiating a new line of democratic leaders in the Philippines.
Continuing his parents' legacy of political fairness and government transparency, President Benigno Aquino III made headlines in 2014 for backing the "Anti-Dynasty Bill" to limit any one family from dominating his country's politics.Learn more about Foreign Laws