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Noynoy Aquino
President of the Philippines Elect
Assuming office June 30, 2010
Succeeding	Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Senator of the Philippines
Incumbent
Assumed office June 30, 2007
Member of the House of Representatives from Tarlac's 2nd district
In office June 30, 1998 – June 30, 2007
Preceded by	Jose Yap
Succeeded by	Jose Yap
Personal details
Born	(1960-02-08) February 8, 1960 (age 64) Manila, Philippines
Political party	Liberal Party
Alma mater	Ateneo de Manila University
Website	Official website

Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Cojuangco Aquino III (born February 8, 1960) is a Senator of the Philippines and a candidate for President of the Philippines in the 2010 election, as the standard-bearer of the Liberal Party. He is the only son of former President Corazon Aquino and former Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr. As of May 10, 2010, he is currently the leading candidate in tallied votes for President in the 2010 presidential election.

A graduate of Ateneo de Manila University, he was wounded by rebel soldiers in a failed coup attempt during his mother's presidency. In 1998, he was elected to the House of Representatives as Representative of the 2nd district of Tarlac province in the 11th Congress of the Philippines. In 2007, he was elected to the Senate of the 14th Congress of the Philippines.

He is also the brother of TV host and actress Kris Aquino.

Early life and education

Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Cojuangco Aquino III was born on February 8, 1960 . He is the third of the five children of Benigno Aquino, Jr., who was then Vice Governor of Tarlac province, and Corazon Aquino. He has four sisters, Maria Elena ("Ballsy"), Aurora Corazon ("Pinky"), Victoria Eliza ("Viel"), and Kristina Bernadette ("Kris").

Aquino studied in Ateneo de Manila University for his elementary, high school, and college education, graduating in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. After college, he joined his family in Boston in exile.

In 1983, shortly after the murder of his father, Noynoy had a short tenure as a member of the Philippine Business for Social Progress. From 1985 to 1986., he was retail sales supervisor and youth promotions assistant for Nike Philippines and later an assistant for advertising and promotion for Mondragon Philippines. In 1986, he joined Intra-Strata Assurance Corp. as vice-president of the family-owned corporation.

On August 28, 1987 , eighteen months into the presidency of Aquino's mother, rebel soldiers led by Gregorio Honasan staged an unsuccessful coup attempt, attempting to siege Malacañang Palace. Aquino was two blocks from the palace when he came under fire. Three of his four security escorts were killed, and the last was wounded protecting him. Aquino himself was hit by five bullets, one of which is still embedded in his neck.

He went to work for the Central Azucarera de Tarlac in 1993, the sugar refinery owned by the Cojuangco clan.

Political life

House of Representatives

Aquino was elected to the House of Representatives in 1998, representing the 2nd District of Tarlac. He won re-election in 2001 and 2004, and served until 2007.

Aquino served on numerous committees as a member of Congress: the Public Order and Security, Transportation and Communications, Agriculture, Banks and Financial Intermediaries, Peoples’ Participation, Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, Appropriations, Natural Resources, and Trade and Industry committees (11th Congress), the Civil, Political and Human Rights, Good Government, Public Order and Security, Inter-Parliamentary Relations and Diplomacy committees (12th Congress), and the Banks and Financial Intermediaries, Energy, Export Promotion, Public Order and Safety committees (13th Congress).

Aquino was also Deputy Speaker from November 8, 2004-February 21, 2006.

A House bill Aquino is reportedly proudest of is House Resolution No. 788, which created a Congressional Oversight Committee to check and study the use of intelligence funds by government agencies, thus ensuring that allocated funds are actually used for the purposes they were originally intended for.

Senate

Barred by term limits from seeking a fourth term as the Representative for the second district of Tarlac province, Aquino was elected to the Senate in the May 15, 2007 midterm elections under the banner of the Genuine Opposition (GO), a coalition comprising a number of parties, including his own Liberal Party, seeking to curb attempts by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to amend the Constitution. In his political ads, he was endorsed by younger sister, TV host Kris Aquino, and mother, the late former President Corazon Aquino. Although a devout Roman Catholic, he was endorsed by one of the largest Protestant churches in the Philippines, the Jesus Is Lord Church. With more than 14.3 million votes, Aquino's tally was the sixth highest of the 37 candidates for the 12 vacant seats elected from the nation at large. He assumed his new office on June 30, 2007.

During the campaign, Aquino reached out to his former enemy, Senator Gregorio Honasan, supporting his application for bail. "I endorse Honasan's request for bail para parehas ang laban. I was hit by bullets from Honasan's men in the neck and hips but that's past now. The principle of my father was, ' Respect the rights even of your enemies.' Ito ang nagpatingkad ng demokrasya. Genuine reconciliation is democracy in action," Aquino told Job Tabada of Cebu Daily News on March 5, 2007. He was referring to two bloody coup attempts against his mother in 1987 and 1989, in the first of which Aquino was seriously injured.

Senate bills

The Budget Impoundment and Control Act (SB 3121), wherein "impoundment" refers to the power of the President to refuse the release of funds appropriated by Congress, is another bill Aquino is proud of; he regretted, however, that such power has been used and abused by President Macapagal-Arroyo, a result of which abuse has been the significant emasculation of Congress’ ability to check the President’s authority. Aquino filed this bill so the President would have to pass through Congress every time s/he decides to impound part of the budget.

Another significant Aquino contribution is Senate Bill 2035, which is the Preservation of Public Infrastructures bill, seeking to raise standards in the construction of all public infrastructures by penalizing contractors of defective infrastructures. The bill also requires the Bureau of Maintenance under the DPWH to conduct periodic inspections of public infrastructures.

Aquino also pushed for the passage of the Amending the Government Procurement Act (SB 2160), which applies to all government procurement activities regardless of source of funds whether local or foreign; only treaties or international/executive agreements entered into by the government prior to its enactment shall be exempt from coverage. The bill was filed in light of the Department of Justice declaration regarding the validity of the controversial NBN-ZTE scandal, wherein its international aspect, as well as the fact that it was an executive agreement, was cited as one reason for its exemption from the procurement process stipulated in Republic Act 9184.

While becoming a strict legislator in his time in the Senate, focusing more on accountability in government appropriations and spending than anything else, Aquino filed other reform-oriented, well-thought-out types of bills, among which were for: PNP reform; an increase in penalties for corporations and work establishments not compliant with minimum wage; the banning of reappointments to the Judicial and Bar Council; the prevention of reappointments and bypassing of the Commission on Appointments; real property valuation based on international standards; and superior responsibility for senior military officers, who are ultimately responsible for their own subordinates.

It is striking, however, how many of these Aquino-proposed bills were not passed.

2010 presidential campaign

In the Liberal Party, Aquino has held various positions such as Secretary General and Vice President for Luzon. He is currently the LP Vice Chairman.

After the death of President Corazon Aquino, calls for him to run for higher office reached its highest and he has decided after the retreat that he would run as a candidate for the Presidency in the 2010 National Elections. This groundswell of support became known as the 'Noynoy Phenomenon.'

A group of lawyers and activists formed the NAPM — the Noynoy Aquino for President Movement — and a nationwide campaign led by the son of the late influential businessman, Chino Roces, began to collect a million signatures in order to persuade Aquino to run for President. In the last weekend of August, Senator Aquino and his fellow partymate in the Liberal Party, Senator Mar Roxas and an unnamed presidential aspirant commenced days of talks to decide what to do for next year's elections.

On September 1, 2009, in a press conference at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City, Senator Roxas, a leading candidate for the Liberal Party nomination announced his withdrawal in the presidential race and expressed his support for Aquino's candidacy. Sen. Aquino later stood side by side Sen. Roxas, but did not make a public statement on the said press conference.

On September 9, 2009, 40 days after the death of his mother, Aquino officially announced his bid for the Presidency in a press conference at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City, which also served as the site of his mother's Presidential Inauguration in February 1986.

Issue stances during the campaign

In an interview with freelance writer Lila Shahani for Philippine Graphic in the final months of the campaign, Aquino suggested a need to review the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement in both the sovereignty field and economic field, and pushing for a Responsible Parenthood bill to replace Congress' Reproductive Health bill defeated in early 2010. In the same interview, Aquino promised that if elected president he would "refrain from imposing new taxes or increasing tax rates," focusing instead on higher customs duties and getting serious with both punishing tax evaders and smugglers.

Later in the interview the interviewer asked, "Why is there a scarcity of successful legislative initiatives in your political resume? What political and work philosophies did you bring to the legislature?" To this Aquino answered: "The Philippines already has decent laws. Some countries have even used some of our laws as the basis for crafting their own legislation. What is far more critical is the implementation gap, which is ultimately beyond the scope of the legislative branch alone. Often, the gap has to do with corruption itself."

Transition of Government

Senator Noynoy Aquino said a "search committee" would be formed to oversee the "talent search" for Cabinet positions.

LP member Dicky Soliman herself announced at a press conference Tuesday in Manila that with Aquino expected to win the presidency, his campaign was forming a “transition team” that would negotiate a smooth transition of power with the outgoing administration and also help jump-start the effort to ensure Ms Arroyo’s accountability for alleged crimes.

Personal life

Aquino is an enthusiast of shooting and billiards. He is also an audiophile and enjoys listening to mellow music, bossa nova, and OPM (Original Pinoy Music). Aquino has a girlfriend, Shalani Soledad, a 29-year-old councilor in Valenzuela City, who is a niece of former Senator Francisco Tatad.

References

1. ^ Noynoy poised to run for President --- ABSCBNnews.com
2. Pazzibugan, Dona (August 21, 2007). "Noynoy Aquino also rises". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
3. ^ from an interview with freelance writer Lila Shahani for Philippines Graphic, later posted on the writer's blog as "A Conversation with Noynoy"
4. "11 days to E-Day". GMANews.TV. May 3, 2007. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
5. "JIL backs Loren, Noynoy, Koko, Kiko in Senate race". GMANews.TV. May 3, 2007. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
6. "Brother Eddie Villanueva endorses 3 more GO bets". May 3, 2007. Archived from the original on September 26, 2007. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
7. Tabada, Job (March 5, 2007). "Reconcile this". Cebu Daily News. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
8. "ABS-CBN News Online Beta". Abs-cbnnews.com. Retrieved September 1, 2009.
9. Candidate Profiles: Benigno Simeon 'Noynoy' Cojuangco Aquino III
10. Roxas throws support for Aquino in 2010---The Philippine Daily Inquirer
11. Ager, Maila (September 9, 2009). "Aquino declares presidential bid". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
13. "Senator Benigno S. Aquino III". Senate of the Philippines. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
14. "Noynoy's girlfriend to stand by her man". Retrieved May 7, 2010.
15. "Noynoy's 'girlfriend' being groomed for Congress". Retrieved May 7, 2010.

External links

• Official website
• Official profile on the website of the Philippine Senate
• Sen. Ninoy Aquino's last letter to Noynoy --- from the official website of Sen. Noynoy Aquino.

v t e Corazon Aquino
11th President of the Philippines (1986–1992)
Presidency	EDSA Revolution 1986–1987 provisional government Coup attempts November 1986 January 1987 April 1987 August 1987 1989 March 1990 October 1990 Policies and legislation 1987 Constitution Executive orders Operation Big Bird Family Code of 1987 Local Government Code Administrative Code of 1987 Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Creation of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Creation of Cordillera Administrative Region Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit DILG Act of 1990 Speeches Inaugural address State of the Nation Address 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991
Elections	1986 snap elections 1992 presidential election
Family	Ninoy Aquino (husband) Benigno Aquino III (son) María Elena Cruz (daughter) Aurora Corazón Abellada (daughter) Victoria Elisa Dee (daughter) Kris Aquino (daughter) Bimby Aquino Yap (grandson) José Cojuangco Sr. (father) Demetria Sumulong (mother) Juan Sumulong (grandfather) Eduardo Cojuangco Sr. (uncle) Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. (cousin) Jose Cojuangco Jr. (brother) Josephine C. Reyes (sister) Mark Cojuangco (nephew) Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski (niece) Cojuangco (clan)
Life and legacy	Death and memorial service
Related	8th Congress PDP–Laban UNIDO Marcos Japanese ODA scandal Laban sign The Last Journey of Ninoy Maalaala Mo Kaya: The Ninoy and Cory Aquino Story ("Kalapati" "Makinilya") Domestic incidents Mendiola massacre Camp Cawa-Cawa siege Vizconde massacre Hultman–Chapman double-murder case Natural disasters Peggy (Gading) PR 206 crash Betty (Herming) Nina (Sisang) Sinking of MV Doña Paz Ruby (Unsang) and Sinking of MV Doña Marilyn Skip (Yoning) Gordon (Goring) Angela (Rubing) Dan (Saling) Elsie (Tasing) 1990 Luzon earthquake Mike (Ruping) 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption Yunya (Diding) Thelma (Uring)
← Ferdinand Marcos Fidel V. Ramos → ← Fernando Lopez Salvador Laurel Joseph Estrada → Category Commons Wikidata Wikisource

v t e 13th ← Senators of the 14th Congress of the Philippines (2007–2010) → 15th
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile (2008–2010) Manny Villar (2006–2008)
Senior Senators (2004–2010) Junior Senators (2007–2013) Rodolfo Biazon Pia Cayetano Juan Ponce Enrile Jinggoy Estrada Dick Gordon Lito Lapid Jamby Madrigal Aquilino Pimentel Jr. Mar Roxas Bong Revilla Miriam Defensor Santiago Edgardo Angara Benigno Aquino III Joker Arroyo Alan Peter Cayetano Francis Escudero Gregorio Honasan Panfilo Lacson Loren Legarda Francis Pangilinan Antonio Trillanes Manny Villar Migz Zubiri Term ended June 30, 2010 Term ended June 30, 2013
— Villar was also the previous Senate president of the 13th Congress. — Vacant due to election of Alfredo Lim as the mayor of Manila.

• 1960 births
• Living people
• Aquino family
• Ateneo de Manila University alumni
• Filipino politicians
• Filipino Roman Catholics
• Filipinos of Chinese descent
• Kapampangan people
• Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines
• People from Manila
• People from Tarlac
• Senators of the Philippines