Chapter 28: Benigno Aquino III Era 2010-
Chap 28, pg 1
Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III, also known as Noynoy Aquino or PNoy, is
the fifteenth and current President of the Philippines. He is the son of former President
Corazon Aquino and former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. He is a member of
the Philippine ruling elite, and as President he represents their interests.
In September 2010 President Aquino traveled to the
United States. The focus of his trip was to secure
development funding from the United Nations, and
also new investments from private sector corporations.
He thus continued the long tradition of Philippine
Presidents traveling to the U.S. looking for financial
support to prop up a weak Philippine economy.
Like the previous Arroyo administration, President Aquino is faced with balancing between his country’s
growing economic dependence on China and its longstanding ties with the United States. The dilemma has only
worsened over the past year as the American Obama Administration sharply increased its diplomatic pressure
on China while simultaneously seeking to undercut Chinese influence in South East Asia.
Killings continue
As of December 2010, in the five months since President Aquino took
his oath of office, at least 20 Philippine activists have been assassinated
without their killers being arrested or identified.
The U.S. Government issues occasional statements expressing concern
about the situation but nevertheless offers absolute support for the
Philippine Government in spite of widespread awareness that
Philippine security forces are involved in most of the killings and
abductions.
New American Ambassador
Harry K. Thomas was appointed in 2010 as the new
American Ambassador to the Philippines.
The United States and the Philippines 2010
The United States continues to maintain a strong presence in the Philippines: there
is more-or-less permanent basing of American troops, American corporations still
control a large share of the economy and expatriate their profits to the United States,
and the U.S. Government wields a more subtle but still powerful influence over the
Philippine Government. The Philippines remains a neocolonial junior partner of the
United States.