Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Cojuangco Aquino III popularly known as Noynoy Aquino was born On February 8, 1960. He is the 3rd of five children. During his birth his father Benigno Aquino Jr. was then Vice Governor of the province of Tarlac. His mother Corazon C. Aquino was then a housewife. Noynoy is the only boy among 4 other siblings, Maria Elena, known to many as Balsy, Aurora Corazon also known as Pinky, Victoria Eliza is also known as Viel, and Kristina Bernadette who is more popularly known as Kris.
Noynoy was a loyal student at the Ateneo de Manila University. He finished his grade school, high school and college in this prominent university. He earned a course in Economics and graduated with flying colors. During this time his father then a senator of the Republic of the Philippines was fighting to free the country from the dictatorship of then President Marcos. Because of this the whole Aquino was exiled to Boston, USA.
Despite threats of assassination, his father bravely decided to return to the Philippines to continue his fight for the Filipino people. Upon his return he was assassinated which incident has sparked the EDSA Revolution which ended the Marcos regime. After these historic events, Noynoy returned to the Philippines in 1983 and had been a member of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP). He then got into the sales business for Nike and Mondragon Philippines after which he became part of the Intra-Strata Assurance Corporation, a family owned business.
Before the beginning of his political career he has been a member of the Philippine Liberal Political Party. He became Vice Chairman of this party. In 1998 he was elected Congressman of the second district of Tarlac and was re-elected until he ended his term in 2007. Also in the year 2007 he was elected Senator of the Republic of the Philippines. Like his father his life was placed in danger when he got critically and seriously wounded during the coup d’etat that was led by Senator Gregorio Honasan. He sustained some gunshot wounds and one bullet is still left inside him until now.
After the death of his mother Corazon C. Aquino a former president of the Philippines, many has been clamoring and calling on Noynoy to run for president in the 2010 presidential election. On June 9, 2010, Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Cojuangco Aquino III was proclaimed the new President of the Philippine Republic succeeding Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
