필리핀 '피플파워' 주역 고(故) 아키노 전 대통령

 

  필리핀 민주화 주역들 모습: 피델 라모스 장군(피델 라모스 전대통령). 코라손 아키노전대통령. 글로리야 아로요 현 대통령(필리핀민주화운동은 반공반독재구국전선 필리핀군이 장기집권 반대와 자유화, 민주화운동을 지지하면서 시민혁명으로 성공했습니다)

 암 투병 끝에 1일 타계한 필리핀의 코라손 아키노 전 대통령은 필리핀 민주화의 주역으로 꼽히는 인물이다. 사탕수수 농장을 소유한 유복한 가정의 딸로 태어나 미국 유학까지 마치고 정치인 남편을 맞았지만 남편의 급작스런 피살로 반정부 지도자로 변신한 그는 민중의 지지를 바탕으로 대통령직까지 오른 입지 전적인 여성이었다.

1933년 필리핀의 명문 정치가문에서 태어나 유복하게 자란 아키노는 미국 뉴욕의 마운트 세인트 빈센트 대학에서 수학과 프랑스어를 전공했다.이후 로스쿨에 진학하려던 계획을 접고 귀국, 전도유망한 정치인이었던 베니그노 '니노이' 아키노와 결혼해 딸 넷과 아들 하나를 뒀다.

   평범한 주부였던 그는 1983년 야당 지도자였던 남편이 미국에서 귀국하다 필리핀 국제공항에서 암살당하자 이후 정치에 뛰어들어 1986년 페르디난드 마르코스 독재정부를 무너뜨린 이른바 '피플 파워' 무혈 봉기를 이끌며 군부의 도움을 받아 집권에 성공했다.

   '코리'라는 애칭으로 불린 아키노는 당시 남편의 암살이 마르코스 독재정부의 명령에 의해 이뤄진 것이라고 주장하며 100만명에 가까운 군중을 모아 독재정부를 무너뜨렸고, 당황한 마르코스와 그의 아내 이멜다는 하와이로 도피해야 했다.

 

                                      Aquino and running mate Salvador Laurel, right, celebrate Philippine Independence Day in June 1986

필리핀의 민주화 경험은 한국과 남미 등 전 세계에 큰 영향을 끼치며 아키노는 비폭력 시위의 세계적인 선구자가 돼 '현대의 잔 다르크'로 추앙받기도 했다. 집권한 아키노는 그러나 대통령 재임 당시에는 수차례 군부의 쿠데타 기도에 시달리면서 그다지 성공한 대통령이라는 평가는 받지 못했다.  1987년에는 대통령궁이 반대파의 박격포 공격을 받기도 하는 등 시련이 있었지만 피델 라모스 장군의 도움으로 군부의 쿠데타 기도를 막아냈다.

 아키노는 대통령의 임기를 6년 단임제로 제한시키는 등 헌법을 개정, 민주주의의 토대를 다졌지만, 정치경험이 부족해 필리핀 가톨릭 교회를 포함한 정치.경제적 기득권 세력에 휘둘렸다는 비판도 받는다.
1992년 대통령직에서 물러난 뒤에는 복지재단을 설립해 대외활동에도 적극적으로 참여했고, 2001년에는 에스트라다 전 대통령의 하야를 이끈 시위에 참여했다. 이후 한때 정치적 동지였던 글로리야 아로요 현 대통령이 부정선거와 부패 혐의를 받자 그의 사임을 요구하는 집회에도 적극 참여했다.

   한국과의 인연도 있다.

   김대중 전 대통령은 1980년대 초반 미국 하버드대에 체류하던 당시 아키노의 남편인 베니그노 아키노 상원의원과 의원과 교분을 나눴다. 이때의 인연으로 아키노는 김대중 전 대통령의 취임식때도 참석했다

 

 

 

                                                                       Mrs Aquino's supporters had offered prayers for her recovery

 

 

 

Obituary: Corazon Aquino

Honoured across the world for her defence of human rights A political novice, Corazon Aquino was thrust to the forefront of opposition to President Ferdinand Marcos following the murder of her husband, a prominent senator. Not only did she replace Marcos as president but went on to gain a worldwide reputation as a fighter for peace and democracy, and an advocate for her strong Catholic faith. Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco was born on 25 July 1933 in Tarlac province, the daughter of a wealthy family of Filipino, Chinese and Spanish descent. Her father had extensive interests in banking as well as controlling a 15,000-acre sugar plantation. After attending local schools she was sent, at the age of 13, to the US where she completed her education at Roman Catholic convent schools in Philadelphia and New York. On her return to the Philippines she enrolled at Far East University to study law but left in 1954 to marry Benigno Aquino, a journalist and the son of a wealthy family from her home province. During the following 20 years "Cory" Aquino remained in the background supporting her husband whose career in politics saw him become the youngest mayor, youngest governor and, eventually, the youngest senator ever elected in the Philippines. A friend once described the Aquino marriage as one where "he was the warrior. She polished his sword and took care of his horse." Assassination Her baptism into politics followed the imprisonment of her husband in 1973 after the declaration of martial law by President Marcos. During the next seven years she became her husband's sole link with the outside world, conveying his thoughts and speeches to news conferences in an effort to keep his memory alive. Benigno Aquino's murder thrust his wife into the political spotlight Exposure to the glare of the media - and the regular strip searches when she visited the jail - had a immense effect on a woman who had, until then, been an intensely private person. Following pressure from the Carter administration Benigno was released in 1980, and the family moved to Boston where Cory Aquino resumed her role as a housewife. In August 1983 Benigno returned to the Philippines to prepare for the following year's presidential elections but, as he stepped from his plane at Manila airport, he was gunned down. The Philippine opposition accused President Marcos of arranging the killing and there were mass anti-government demonstrations across the country. Cory Aquino led more than a million mourners in her husband's funeral procession and, standing by his grave, vowed to carry on his work. Moral message She led calls for Marcos's resignation and, ignoring calls to boycott the May 1984 elections, saw the opposition win a third of the seats. Fearful of a growing communist influence in the Philippines, Ronald Reagan put pressure on Marcos to carry out sweeping social and political reforms. In what was seen as a bid to prove to the US that he was still in control, Marcos called a snap presidential election and Cory Aquino came under pressure to stand against him. She led the opposition against Ferdinand Marcos For some time she wavered but, following the decision of a court to release army officers implicated in her husband's murder, she decided to contest the election. Skilfully uniting the two major opposition parties, she emphasised her lack of political experience as a virtue and, in a predominantly Roman Catholic country, her deeply moral message was well received by people fed up with the corruption of the Marcos regime. As voters went to the polls, reports began to come in of bribes, intimidation and missing ballot boxes, as the Marcos government desperately tried to retain power. With conflicting results both candidates claimed victory and held rival inaugurations in February 1986. A combination of key defections from the Marcos camp, public demonstrations and pressure from the US, forced Marcos to flee the country and Aquino became president. Nobel nomination In the face of doubts about her ability to govern she swiftly set about dismantling the worst excesses of the Marcos regime. While in office she faced a series of coups She released political prisoners, reinstated habeas corpus and forced a number of pro-Marcos judges and generals to resign. Faced with an entrenched Marcos faction in the national assembly and provincial administrations, she took a major gamble and announced that she would rule by decree until a new constitution was written; it finally came into force in 1987. Despite her personal popularity, her government faced a series of coup attempts from Marcos loyalists and disgruntled military officers and she decided not to run for a second term in 1992. She remained active in politics and played a major role in the ousting of President Joseph Estrada in 2001 and his replacement by Gloria Arroyo. Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 (she lost to Elie Wiesel) she subsequently received a number of awards and citations for championing democracy and human rights.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7324443.stm

 

 

 

                                      Philippine Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. informs media of the death of his mother Saturday in Manila.