BENIGNO AQUINO III

Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III; born February

8, 1960, also known as Noynoy Aquino or PNoy, is
a Filipino politician who has been the 15th President of
the Philippines since June 2010.

Aquino is a fourth-generation politician: his greatgrandfather, Servillano "Mianong" Aquino, served as

a delegate to
the Malolos
Congress;
his
grandfather, Benigno Aquino, Sr., served as Speaker of
the House of Representatives of the Philippines from
1943 to 1944; and his parents were President Corazon
Aquino and Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. Aquino is
a member of the Liberal Party. In the Liberal Party,
Aquino held various positions such as Secretary General
and Vice President for Luzon. Aquino is theChairman of
the Liberal Party.

Born in Manila, Aquino finished his Bachelor of

Arts (major in Economics) from Ateneo de Manila
University in 1981 and joined his family in their exile in
the United States shortly thereafter. He returned to the
Philippines in 1983 shortly after the assassination of his
father and held several positions working in the private
sector. In 1998, he was elected to the House of
Representatives as Representative of the 2nd district
of Tarlac province. He was subsequently re-elected to the
House in 2001 and 2004. In 2007, having been barred
from running for re-election to the House due to term
limits, he was elected to the Senate in the 14th Congress
of the Philippines.

Following the death of his mother on August 1, 2009,

many people began calling on Aquino to run for
president. On September 9, 2009, Aquino officially
announced he would be a candidate in the 2010
presidential election, held on May 10, 2010. On June 9,
2010, the Congress of the Philippines proclaimed Aquino
the winner of the 2010 presidential election. On June 30,
2010,
at
the
Quirino
Grandstand in Rizal
Park, Manila, Aquino
was sworn
into
office as

the fifteenth President of the Philippines, succeeding Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,

by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines Conchita CarpioMorales.

In 2013, TIME named him one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.
Although the official residence of the President is the Malacaang Palace, Aquino
actually resides in the Bahay Pangarap (House of Dreams), located within the
Palace grounds

GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (born April 5, 1947) is
a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the
Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of
the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and as member of
the House
of
Representatives
representing
the 2nd
District of Pampanga since 2010. She was the country's
second female president (after Corazon Aquino), and the
daughter of former President Diosdado Macapagal. Arroyo is
also the first duly elected female Vice President of the
Philippines.

Arroyo was a former professor of economics at Ateneo de

Manila University where Benigno Aquino III was one of her
students. She entered government in 1987, serving as
assistant secretary and undersecretary of the Department of
Trade and Industry upon the invitation of President Corazon
Aquino. After serving as a senator from 1992 to 1998, she
was elected to the vice presidency under President Joseph
Estrada, despite having run on an opposing ticket. After
Estrada was accused of corruption, she resigned her cabinet
position as Secretary of Social Welfare and Development and
joined the growing opposition to the president, who faced
impeachment. Estrada was soon forced from office by
the EDSA Revolution of 2001, and Arroyo was sworn into the
presidency by Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. on January 20,
2001. She was elected to a full six-year presidential term in
the controversial May 2004 Philippine elections, and was
sworn in on June 30, 2004. Following her presidency she was
elected to the House of Representatives, making her the
second Philippine presidentafter Jose P. Laurelto pursue a
lower office after their presidency.

On November 18, 2011, Arroyo was arrested following the

filing of criminal charges against her for electoral fraud. She
was held at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon
City under charges of electoral sabotage but released on bail
in July 2012. She was re-arrested while in hospital on
charges of misuse of $8.8 million in state lottery funds in
October 2012.

Early life
She was born as Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal to politician Diosdado
Macapagal and his wife, Evangelina Macaraeg-Macapagal. She is the sister of Dr.
Diosdado "Boboy" Macapagal, Jr. and Cielo Macapagal-Salgado. She spent the first
years of her life in Lubao, Pampanga, with her two older siblings from her father's
first marriage. At the age of four, she chose to live with her
maternal grandmother in Iligan City. She stayed there for
three
years,
then
split
her
time
between Mindanao and Manila until the age of 11. She is
fluent in English, Tagalog, Spanish and several other
Philippine languages, most importantly, Kapampangan,
Ilokano, and Cebuano.

In 1961, when Arroyo was just 14 years old, her father was
elected as president. She moved with her family
into Malacaang Palacein Manila. A municipality was named
in
her
honor, Gloria,
Oriental
Mindoro.
She
attended Assumption Convent for her elementary and high
school education, graduating valedictorian in 1964.

JOSEPH ESTRADA
Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada (born Jose Marcelo Ejercito;
April 19, 1937) is a Filipino politician who was the 13th President of
the Philippines from 1998 to 2001. He has been Mayor of the City of
Manila, the country's capital, since 2013. Estrada was the first
person in the present Fifth Republican period to be elected both
President and Vice-President.

Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in

over a hundred films in an acting career spanning some three
decades. He used his popularity as an actor to make gains in
politics, serving as mayor of San Juan for 16 years, as Senator for
one term, then as Vice-President under President Fidel V. Ramos.

Estrada was elected President in 1998 with a wide margin of votes

separating him from the other challengers, and was sworn into the
presidency on June 30, 1998. In 2000 he declared an "all-out-war"
against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and captured its
headquarters
and
other
camps. However,
allegations
of corruption spawned an impeachment trial in the Senate, and in
2001 Estrada was ousted by "People Power 2" after the prosecution

walked out of the impeachment court when the Senator-Judges voted "no" in the opening of
the second envelope. The EDSA 2 protests resulted from the concerted efforts of political,
business, military, and church elites who were displeased by Estrada's policies that included
removal of sovereign guarantees on government contracts. In October 2000, the Daily
Tribune reported about elite plans to "'constitutionally' oust President Estrada under 'Oplan
Excelsis."[5] Emil Jurado of the Manila Standard reported as early as 1999 about a PR
demolition work designed to embarrass Estrada "by attributing to his administration all sorts
of perceived faults and scams with the end in view of covering up
anomalies and scams also committed during the Ramos administration."
Former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo also admitted in an interview with
Nick Joaquin that he and then-Ilocos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson and certain
military officials plotted plans to oust Estrada in January 2001, with the
alternative "plan B" being violent "with orders to shoot. And not only in
Metro Manila."

In 2007, Estrada was sentenced by the special division of

the Sandiganbayan to reclusin perpetua for the plunder of stealing $80
million from the government and was sentenced a lifetime in prison, but
was later granted pardon by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He ran
for president again in the 2010 presidential election, but placed second
behind Senator Benigno Aquino III.

EARLY LIFE AND CAREER

Joseph Ejercito Estrada was born at 8:25 PM on April 19, 1937
at Manuguit Maternity Hospital (now known as Amisola
Maternity Hospital) in Tondo, an urban district of Manila. His
family later moved to the wealthy suburb of San Juan. He
belonged to an upper-middle-class family, and was the eighth
of ten children of Emilio Ejercito and his wife, Maria Marcelo. He
was expelled during his primary studies at the Ateneo de
Manila University and subsequently enrolled in an engineering
course at the Mapa Institute of Technology in an effort to
please his father, but dropped out.

In his twenties, he began a career as a drama actor. He

adopted the stage name "Joseph Estrada", as his mother
objected to his chosen career and his decision to quit
schooling. He also acquired the nickname "Erap" (a play on
the Tagalog slang "pare", meaning 'buddy') from his friend,
fellow actor Fernando Poe, Jr.

FIDEL V. RAMOS

Fidel
Valdez
Ramos AFP PLH GCMG (born March 18,
known
as FVR and Eddie,
was
of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998.
years in office, Ramos was widely
admired by many for revitalizing and
international confidence in the Philippine

Prior to his election as President, Ramos

Cabinet of President Corazn Aquino, first
the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),
National Police, and later on, as Secretary
Defense from 1986 to 1991.

1928),
popularly
the 12th President
During
his
six
credited
and
renewing
economy.

served
in
the
as chief-of-staff of
chief of Integrated
of
National

During the historic 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, Ramos was hailed as a
hero by many Filipinos for his decision to breakaway from the administration of
President Ferdinand Marcos and pledge
allegiance
and
loyalty
to
the
newly
established
government
of
President Aquino.

Under
Ramos,
the
Philippines
period of political stability and rapid
and expansion, as a result of his policies
designed to foster national reconciliation
was able to secure major peace
Muslim
separatists,
communist
military rebels, which renewed investor
the Philippine economy. Ramos also
pushed for the deregulation of the
industries and the privatization of bad
assets. As a result of his hands-on
economy, the Philippines was dubbed by
internationally as Asia's Next Economic

experienced
a
economic growth
and
programs
and unity. Ramos
agreements with
insurgents
and
confidence
in
aggressively
nation's
major
government
approach to the
various
Tiger.

However,
the
momentum
in
the
economic
gains
made under his administration was
briefly interrupted
during the onset of the 1997Asian
Financial
Crisis.
Nevertheless, during the last year of the term, the economy managed to make a
rebound since it was not severely hit by the crisis as compared to other Asian
economies. He also oversaw the Philippine Centennial Independence celebrations
in 1998.

Ramos has received numerous awards, and is the only Filipino to have received
an honorary British order, having been made aKnight Grand Cross of the Order of
St Michael and St George by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom in 1995.

CORAZON AQUINO
Maria
Corazon
"Cory"
Sumulong Cojuangco Aquino (January 25, 1933
August 1, 2009) was a Philippine politician who
served as the 11th President of the Philippines, the
first woman to hold that office, and the first female
president in Asia, though not the first female Asian
head of state. Aquino was the most prominent figure
of the 1986 People Power Revolution, which toppled
the 20-yearauthoritarian rule of President Ferdinand
Marcos and restored democracy to the Philippines.
She was named Time magazine's "Woman of the
Year" in 1986. She had not held any other elective
office.

A self-proclaimed "plain housewife", she was married

to Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr., the staunchest critic
of President Marcos. She emerged as leader of the
opposition after her husband was assassinated on
August 21, 1983 upon returning to the Philippines
from exile in the United States. In late 1985, Marcos
called for snap elections, and Aquino ran for
president with former senator Salvador Laurel as
her Vice-President. After the elections were held on
February
7,
1986,
the Batasang
Pambansa proclaimed Marcos and his running
mate, Arturo Tolentino, as the winners amidst
allegations of electoral fraud, with Aquino calling for
massive civil disobedienceactions. Defections from
the Armed Forces and the support of the local
Catholic Church led to the People Power Revolution
that ousted Marcos and secured Aquino's accession
on February 25, 1986.

As President, Aquino oversaw the promulgation of

the 1987 Constitution, which limited the powers of

the Presidency and re-established the bicameral Congress. Her administration

gave strong emphasis and concern for civil liberties and human rights, and on
peace talks to resolve the ongoing Communist insurgency and Islamist secession
movements. Her economic policies centred on restoring economic health and
confidence and focused on creating a market-oriented and socially responsible
economy.

Aquino faced several coup attempts against her government and

various natural calamities until the end of her term in 1992. She
was succeeded as President by Fidel V. Ramos, and returned to
civilian life while remaining public about her opinions on political
issues.

In 2008, Aquino was diagnosed with colon cancer from which she
died on August 1, 2009. Her son, Benigno Aquino III, has been
President of the Philippines since June 30, 2010. Throughout her
life, Aquino was known to be a devout Roman Catholic, and was
fluent
in French and English besides
her
native Tagalog and Kapampangan.

FERDINAND MARCOS
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. (September 11,
1917 September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer and politician
who served as President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He
ruled under martial law from 1972 until 1981. Public outrage led
to thesnap elections of 1986 and to the making of People Power
Revolution in February 1986.

Prior to the presidency, he served as a member of the Philippine

House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and of the Philippine
Senate from 1959 to 1965, where he was Senate President from
1963 to 1965.

His wife was Imelda Marcos, who became famous in her own
right, and who is still active in Philippine politics along with two of
his three children, Imee Marcos and Ferdinand "Bongbong"
Marcos, Jr.

EARLY LIFE
Ferdinand Edralin Marcos was born 11 September 1917, in the town of Sarrat,
Ilocos Norte, to Mariano Marcos and Josefa Edralin. He was baptized into
the Philippine Independent Church, but he was baptized in the Roman Catholic
Church at the age of three.

In December 1938, Ferdinand was prosecuted for the murder of Julio

Nalundasan along with his father, Mariano, his brother, Pio, and his brother-in-law
Quirino Lizardo; Nalundasan one of the elder Marcos' political rivals. Nalundasan
had been shot and killed in his house in Batac on 20 September 1935the day
after he had defeated Mariano Marcos a second time for a seat in the National
Assembly. According to two witnesses, the four had conspired to assassinate
Nalundasan, with Ferdinand Marcos eventually pulling the trigger. In late January
1939, they were denied bail[5] and in the fall of 1939 they were convicted.
Ferdinand and Lizardo received the death penalty for premeditated murder, while
Mariano and Pio were found guilty of contempt of court. The Marcos family took
their appeal to the Supreme Court of the Philippines, which overturned the lower
court's decision on 22 October 1940, acquitting them of all charges except
contempt.

Marcos studied law at the University of the Philippines, attending the

prestigious College of Law. He excelled in both curricular and extra-curricular
activities, becoming a valuable member of the university's swimming, boxing, and
wrestling teams. He was also an accomplished and prolific orator, debater, and
writer for the student newspaper. He also became a member of the University of
the Philippines ROTC Unit (UP Vanguard Fraternity) where he met his future
cabinet members and Armed Forces Chiefs of Staff. He sat for the 1939 Bar
Examinations, receiving a near-perfect score and graduating cum laude despite
the fact that he was incarcerated while reviewing; had he not been in jail for 27
days, he would have graduated magna cum laude. He was elected to the Pi
Gamma Muand the Phi Kappa Phi international honour societies, the latter giving
him its Most Distinguished Member Award 37 years later.

He claimed to have led a 9,000-man guerrilla force called Ang Mahrlika (Tagalog,
"The Noble") in northern Luzon during the World War II, although his account of
events was later cast into doubt after a United States military investigation
exposed many of his claims as either false or inaccurate.