Early political involvement serves as the 6th
Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines during the
Second Philippine Republic. The Aquino political dynasty began with
Servillano "Mianong" Aguilar Aquino (April 20, 1874 – February 2, 1959) who was a Filipino general during the
Philippine Revolution against Spain (1896–1898), and the
Philippine–American War (1898–1902). He served as a delegate to the
Malolos Congress. He was born to Don Braulio Aquino and Doña Petrona Hipolito Aguilar. He married Guadalupe Quiambao, with whom he had three children, Gonzalo (born 1893–??), future Philippine Senator
Benigno (born 1894–1947), and Amando (born 1896–??). Later, he married his sister-in-law, Belen Sanchez, and had a child with her, future Philippine Congressman
Herminio (1949–2021). In 1896, Mianong Aquino became a mason and joined the Katipunan. He was also elected mayor of Murcia, Tarlac and, under General
Francisco Makabulos, he organized the Filipino revolutionary forces against the Americans. He was promoted to major, but was defeated in the battle at Mount Sinukuan in Arayat, Pampanga. After the
Pact of Biak-na-Bato was signed, Aquino was exiled to
Hong Kong together with
Emilio Aguinaldo and the revolutionary government. He returned to the Philippines in 1898, and joined General
Antonio Luna to fight against the American forces. Together they attacked Manila but retreated to Mount Sinukuan. In September 1902, he surrendered and was jailed in Bilibid Prison, and sentenced to hang. However, United States President
Theodore Roosevelt gave Aquino a pardon after two years. On February 3, 1959, at the age of 84, Aquino died of a heart attack. Ninoy Aquino campaigned for Dr.
Jose P. Laurel and later
Ramon Magsaysay for the presidency. In 1954, he became the youngest municipal mayor at age 22. Eleven years later, on August 21, 1983, he was allegedly assassinated whom until to this day is unknown. This assassination caused the uprising of the Filipino people, and at the same time, the pressure on Corazon “Cory” Aquino to take the place of her late husband. Initially, Cory was hesitant to participate in politics. For one, she was inexperienced and did not know much about Philippine politics. Two, she was being thrust into the position of president – the highest position in the state. After spending a day in isolation in a church, Cory then decided that she will run for presidency against Marcos, who declared a snap election. At the start of her campaign, Cory was criticized by Marcos for being “just a woman” On February 7, 1986, Cory won the snap election despite Marcos’ cheating in the election process. However, COMELEC fraudulently declared Marcos victorious on February 15. This led to the uprising of the people who supported Cory, with the addition of some of the low-ranking military officers. These officers, under Juan Ponce Enrile, defected because of the nepotism shown by Marcos in promoting military personnel. When Cardinal Sin called out to the Filipinos to flood EDSA on behalf of Cory, millions of Filipinos came and peacefully rallied in EDSA. This movement by the people was met with tanks from the government. At this point, the Philippines became the center focus of international media. This event, now known as the People Power Revolution, led to the defection of Marcos’ allies, even in the US, and eventually the departing of Marcos himself on February 26, 1986. After Cory's death, people from different groups called on Noynoy to run during the upcoming 2010 presidential elections. Forty days after his mother's death, Noynoy Aquino announced that he will run for presidency, and that he will follow the footsteps of his parents in leading the nation should he win the election. Before Noynoy Aquino became a senator in 2007, he was a congressman from Tarlac from 1998 to 2007. In his three terms, he filed 21 bills. In May 2007, he ran for Senator and won, placing 6th in the national elections. He chairs the Senate Committee on Local Government, and is also the vice-chairperson of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights. He had been determined to ensure that his key legislative initiatives would bear fruit and to see them through until the end of his term. He concentrated on crafting laws that would help create opportunity rather than impose additional burdens to those who are already disadvantaged. He actively took part in budget deliberations to ensure that government initiatives do address the plight of the people who need help the most. He introduced reforms on the Philippine education program by introducing the K-12 curriculum by signing into law the Enhanced Basic Education Act in 2013. This added two years to the basic education system; which became known as the Senior High School stage. Under his presidency, the nation's economy grew at the highest rates in decades, and the country was dubbed a "Rising Tiger" economy. Even at this point, his performance still remained indistinguishable. Noynoy's name only appeared once again when her mother, Cory Aquino, died on August 1, 2009, in which the whole nation mourned over. On September 9, 2009, in Club Filipino in Greenhills, he announced that he will continue the fight of his parents, and run for presidency under the Liberal Party.
Legacy is the sole member of the Aquino family who remains in national politics. Today, various tributes and monuments were made for the Aquino family's role in the
People Power Revolution. In 1987, Through Republic Act No. 6639, Manila International Airport was renamed to
Ninoy Aquino International Airport, where Senator Aquino was assassinated. Large statues of both
Ninoy and
Cory were erected throughout the country. As of today,
Bam Aquino remains the only member of the Aquino family still active in national politics. He served as a
Senator of the Philippines from 2013 to 2019 and was
recently elected to a second term in 2025. Meanwhile, his cousin,
Antolin Oreta III is involved in local politics. A former
Mayor of Malabon from 2012 to 2022, he was recently
elected to the Philippine House of Representatives as the
representative for Malabon in 2025.
Hacienda Luisita Controversies are also attributed to the family, however. Amid decades-long calls for genuine land reform, Congress under President Corazon Aquino approved the law creating the
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP); but it was widely considered to be ineffective. Some have criticized her intentions on land distribution, considering her belonging to the Cojuangco clan, owners of the
Hacienda Luisita, a 6000-hectare sugar plantation in Tarlac. She had a share of the stocks of the hacienda's corporation along with her siblings until she bequeathed them to her children and other entities at the start of her presidency. The hacienda was spared from actual distribution for farmer beneficiaries under CARP. Disputes arose in the past years between the management of the hacienda and the workers as they demanded better working conditions and benefits. The dispersal by police and military on a 6000-strong worker's strike in November 2004 led to the so-called
Hacienda Luisita massacre, killing at least 7 people and injuring hundreds, and drawing condemnation. Then-congressman Benigno Aquino III condemned the killings but defended the dispersal of the "illegal" strike. == Relations with other prominent families ==