10 not-so-known facts about Aquino

Philippines’ President Benigno Aquino (L) smiles as he is greeted by an honor guard upon his arrival at Wattay airport to attend the ninth Asia-Europe (ASEM 9) summit in Vientiane on November 4, 2012. AFP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—To mark his 53rd birthday last Friday, the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office headed by  Ricky Carandang released “Ten Facts about President Aquino” that are not widely known to the public.

Uploaded to the online Official Gazette, these facts touch on both his personal and political life.

Of the 10 facts, only the first is fairly known to all: “He is the first bachelor President.”

The rest are as follows:

•   He is the second President to have studied in the Ateneo de Manila (the other being former President Joseph Estrada), but the first to have graduated from it.

•   He is the only President whose name includes a numerical notation, III or “The Third.” (There have been no “juniors” or “thirds” among previous Presidents.)

•   He is the fourth President who was not sworn in by a Chief Justice. (He was sworn in by an associate justice of his choosing, Conchita Carpio-Morales, now Ombudsman.)

•   He was shot at five times during the August 1997 failed coup attempt. Fragments of a bullet are still lodged in his neck. (He is also the 15th President of the Philippines, but the 5th President of the Fifth Republic.)

•   He is the sixth President to have been elected to a six-year term. (The others were Manuel Quezon, Corazon Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.)

•   He is the seventh President to be inaugurated at the Quirino Grandstand. (Estrada was sworn in 1998 at Barasoian Church in Bulacan, while Arroyo had her inauguration in 2004  at the Cebu Provincial Capitol.)

•   He is the eighth President to receive an honorary degree from Fordham University, the Jesuit University of New York.

•   He declared his candidacy for President on Sept. 9, 2009 (9/09/09).

•   He is the 10th senator to become President.

Also “in honor of the President, on his birthday,” the Palace has also released the first volume of his 30 best speeches as an e-publication (digital/Internet publication).

This volume covers two years, from June 2010 to June 2012.

“I encourage everybody to look at what was posted by the Official Gazette to celebrate the President’s birthday,” said Palace spokeswoman  Abigail Valte in a radio interview.

She admitted that even officials who work with the President don’t know most of these facts.

“We ourselves were surprised about the 10 facts,” she said.

Valte said that the speeches could be accessed via mobile devices, particularly smart/android phones, and tablets.