Benigno Aquino III, Philippine president who revitalized country’s economy, dies at 61 - The Washington Post

MANILA — Benigno Aquino III, a former president of the Philippines, died in Manila on Thursday. He was 61 and had largely stayed out of the public eye since leaving office in 2016.

The cause was renal disease from diabetes, his family said in a statement, adding that he spent the last years of his life in poor health.

“He was a good friend and an honest president,” tweeted Vice President Leni Robredo, a member of Aquino’s Liberal Party. “He tried to do what was right, even when it was not popular.”

“We are grateful for his contribution and services to the country,” said Harry Roque, a spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte, a political opponent of Aquino.

Aquino served from 2010 to 2016 as the Southeast Asian country’s 15th president. Widely known by his nickname “Noynoy,” he was the son of two democracy icons: former senator Benigno Aquino Jr. — who was assassinated upon return from exile in 1983 — and Corazon Aquino, a homemaker who became president after authoritarian leader Ferdinand Marcos was ousted in a 1986 revolt. He is survived by four sisters.

Aquino was elected on a wave of pro-democracy sentiment after his mother’s death in 2009. He ran on the slogan “No corruption, no poverty.”

His administration is credited, particularly in the early years of its term, with stabilizing the economy. Gross domestic product grew by at least 6 percent annually between 2012 and 2015, but “it wasn’t successful in terms of equality,” said political analyst Antonio La Viña.

Aquino also succeeded in getting the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a large insurgent group, to renounce violence after decades of armed conflict. Negotiations paved the way for an autonomous region in the Catholic-majority country’s south, where many Muslims live.

In international affairs, his presidency is perhaps best remembered for its firm stance on Philippine territorial rights in the South China Sea. The Aquino administration led a case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration against China’s claim to virtually the entire South China Sea, including islands close to the Philippines. The court ruled in favor of the Philippines in July 2016, after Aquino’s term. But China rejected the tribunal’s ruling and Duterte, who succeeded him as president, has largely avoided confronting Beijing.

Aquino’s government, however, was heavily criticized for its handling of Typhoon Haiyan, which killed thousands of Filipinos, in 2013. His popularity never really recovered from a botched police operation to capture Muslim rebels in 2015 that left 44 officers dead. Analysts say that dissatisfaction with his government eventually led to the rise of the populist Duterte.

“He reformed the country, but not radically,” said La Viña. “He was a modern president, but not modern enough to fix the political system.”

Adblock test (Why?)

Benigno Aquino III, Philippine president who revitalized country’s economy, dies at 61 - The Washington Post
Read More