According to mainstream media reports in the Philippines, confirmed by a number of sources, on June 24, local time, former Philippine President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III died at the age of 61. Aquino III, who served as president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016, pursued a pro-American line, clashed fiercely with China over the South China Sea dispute, and also created trouble in the waters of China's Zhongsha Huangyan Island, and then provoked the so-called "South China Sea arbitration" farce.
The Philippine Manila Bulletin quoted his family as saying thursday that Aquino III, who served as president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016, was rushed to a hospital in Quezon City earlier and died of heart failure. His sister, actor Kris Aquino, arrived at the hospital around 9 a.m., and the family is expected to make a statement on the same day.
Former Philippine Foreign Minister Almenderas and former Senator Rojas, who was Aquino's partner in the Liberal Party, were also in hospital. Another Liberal party member, former lawmaker Lorenzo Tanada, tweeted, "It's a sad day. ”
Bloomberg said that as a bachelor who loved cigarettes and computer games, Aquino III's parents were symbols of Filipino democracy, and he spent most of his life in the shadow of his parents. Aquino III has said he does not aspire to lead the country. His father, Senator benigno Aquino Jr., opposition leader He was imprisoned under the regime of Ferdinand Marcos and assassinated after returning from exile in the United States in 1983. Three years later, his mother, Corazon Aquino, competed with Marcos in an interim election that led to the downfall of dictator Marcos.
In 2009, the death of the country's first female president, Corrazon Aquino, prompted then-Senator Aquino III to run for the top office the following year, saying in a 2013 interview with Bloomberg News, "I don't have any ambitions to be president, it's fate, people find me." ”
Born on February 8, 1960, Benigno Aquino III was the only son of five children. He graduated in economics from Ateneo de Manila University and has served as a member of Congress and a senator. Before entering the public sector, he worked at Nike Inc. The Philippines office serves as a retail supervisor and promotion manager.
During Aquino III's six-year presidency, the country's economy grew by an average of 6.2 percent, exceeding 7 percent twice, the fastest pace since the 1970s. His government tracked down tax evaders, closed the budget deficit low from record levels and gave the Philippines its first investment-grade rating from a major credit rating firm. The pollster Social Weather Stations said his final public performance was "very good." In an interview with rappler CEO Maria Renesas on June 7, 2016, Aquino said, "I want me to show the best in the Philippines: our cause is legitimate, and we are partners worth working with." We sincerely say, look at you, what we want is not unilateral growth, but multi-dimensional growth on all sides."
Aquino's predecessor, Arroyo, was imprisoned on corruption charges during his tenure. In 2015, in the Corruption Index released by Berlin-based Transparency International, the country's ranking was 11 places higher than it had been six years earlier. His government, however, has been criticized for not investing enough money to improve the country's dilapidated infrastructure. Traffic congestion, which led to hours of commuting, sparked disillusionment with public expectations, and his successor, Duterte, took advantage of this during the campaign to beat him.
Since 2019, Aquino III has been suffering from various ailments. He has been on dialysis for at least five months and recently had a heart surgery. Philippine media said Aquino III had been a sought-after leader in the country for most of his presidency until the Mamasapano incident on January 25, 2015, when 44 elite police officers were killed in operations against terrorists Abdulbasit Usman and Zulkifli Abdhir.
For China, Aquino pursued a pro-American line during his tenure, fiercely clashed with China over the South China Sea dispute, and even provoked the so-called "South China Sea arbitration".
The abduction of Hong Kong tourists on August 23, 2010, due to the poor rescue of the Philippines, resulted in 8 deaths and 6 injuries to Hong Kong tourists.
That night, Aquino III was photographed making a statement at the Presidential Palace on the hostage-taking incident in the Philippines and twice "smiling" during a visit to the scene of the attack on the Hong Kong tour group bus, which was strongly condemned by public opinion.