Word: aquinos
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...most prominent member of the Cabinet is Aquino's Vice President, Salvador ("Doy") Laurel, 57, a childhood friend of her husband's and a former Marcos supporter who did not join the opposition until 1980. Laurel was also named Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. The triple titles and double portfolio were largely a prearranged reward for Laurel, who set aside his own ^ presidential ambitions last December to become Aquino's running mate in the Feb. 7 election. As her part of the deal, Aquino, who had no party affiliation, agreed at the time to run on the ticket of Laurel...
...balance on the other side, Aquino chose two center-left Assemblymen from the Pilipino Democratic Party-Laban. Aquilino Pimentel, 50, repeatedly jailed during the Marcos period for opposing the government, became Minister of Local Government, while Ramon Mitra, 58, an outspoken rancher, assumed the post of Minister of Agriculture. Aquino repaid debts to political independents who strongly supported her during the bitterly contested election. Among them: Jaime Ongpin, 47, the chairman of the Benguet Mining Corp. and one of her main campaign strategists, who was named Finance Minister, and Jose Concepcion, 54, a businessman and head of the National Movement...
...most important carryover from the Marcos era was Defense Minister Enrile, 62, who, with General Ramos, mounted the daring rebellion that proved to be the catalyst for Marcos' fall and Aquino's ascension. Enrile's entry into the Aquino government changed the equation of power in the ruling coalition. The Minister is personally popular with many Aquino backers, but his longstanding ties to Marcos (whom he served as defense chief for 16 years) and his own undisguised presidential ambitions make them uneasy. They are aware that they would not have gained power had it not been for Enrile's defiance...
...Aquino seemed less concerned than her colleagues about a long-term threat from Enrile and gave him credit for the critical role he played in catapulting her into office. "I am not engaging in a popularity contest," she said when asked about Enrile's new hero status among many Filipinos. Retaining the Defense Minister and General Ramos, 57, represents both pluses and minuses for the President. On the one hand, they provide vital links to the 230,000-member armed forces, which she needs to keep order and to fight the Communist insurgents. On the other hand...
...Although Aquino showed personal compassion for Marcos in the interest of national unity, she made it plain that she would spare no effort to reclaim the vast fortune the Marcos family is believed to have spirited out of the country over the years. She announced the creation of a Cabinet-level Presidential Commission on Good Government, headed by former Senator Jovito Salonga, 65. One of the panel's tasks will be the recovery of an estimated $2 billion in "hidden wealth" that the Marcos family has surreptitiously squirreled away in the U.S. and Switzerland. Salonga said he had already secured...