Danding Cojuangco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eduardo Cojuangco Jr.
|
|
|---|---|
Cojuangco in 2020
|
|
| Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Tarlac's 1st District | |
| In office December 30, 1969 – September 23, 1972 |
|
| Preceded by | José Cojuangco Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Vacant Post later held by Jose Cojuangco Jr. |
| Governor of Tarlac | |
| In office December 30, 1967 – December 30, 1969 |
|
| Preceded by | Benigno Aquino Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Eduardo Murphy Cojuangco Jr.
June 10, 1935 Paniqui, Tarlac, Philippine Islands |
| Died | June 16, 2020 (aged 85) Taguig, Philippines |
| Political party | Nationalist People's Coalition (1991–2020) |
| Other political affiliations |
Nacionalista (1967–1991) |
| Spouse | Soledad "Gretchen" Oppen-Cojuangco |
| Children | 6 (including 2 daughters with Aileen Damiles) |
| Alma mater | University of the Philippines Los Baños California Polytechnic State University |
| Occupation | Politician, businessman |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Philippines |
| Branch/service | Philippine Air Force |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | Reserves |
Eduardo "Danding" Murphy Cojuangco Jr. (June 10, 1935 – June 16, 2020) was a famous Filipino businessman and politician. He was the chairman and CEO of San Miguel Corporation. This is a very large food and beverage company in the Philippines. He also served as a Philippine ambassador. He was also the governor of Tarlac province. His personal wealth was estimated at over a billion US dollars in 2016. His businesses were once a huge part of the Philippines' economy.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Eduardo Murphy Cojuangco Jr. was born on June 10, 1935. He was the first child of Eduardo Chichioco Cojuangco and Josephine B. Murphy. He finished high school at De La Salle College. He also studied at UP Los Baños. Later, he attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
Role During the Marcos Years
Cojuangco had a close relationship with Philippine president Ferdinand E. Marcos. Because of this, he became known as one of the president's powerful allies. He was considered one of the country's top businessmen during this time.
Martial Law Period
Cojuangco was part of a group of twelve men. This group helped plan and carry out the declaration of Martial Law in 1972. He was the only civilian in this group.
Political Career After 1986
After Ferdinand Marcos was removed from power in 1986, Cojuangco left the country. He went into exile with the Marcos family. He spent this time breeding and racing horses in Australia. Cojuangco was allowed to return to the Philippines in 1989.
In 1992, Cojuangco started the Nationalist People's Coalition political party. He ran for president in the 1992 presidential elections. He came in third place in a close election. Fidel V. Ramos won the election.
He thought about running for president again in 2003. However, he decided not to join the 2004 presidential election. He later became a very influential figure in his party. People called him a "kingmaker" in Philippine politics. This meant he had a lot of power in choosing who would run for office.
Involvement in Sports
Cojuangco was a strong supporter of sports in the Philippines. He especially loved basketball. He supported basketball since the 1980s. His team, Northern Consolidated, was very famous.
Through San Miguel Corporation, he owned three teams in the Philippine Basketball Association. These teams were the San Miguel Beermen, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, and Star Hotshots. He also greatly helped the De La Salle Green Archers men's basketball team.
He was also the first chairman of the Philippine Racing Commission. This group oversees horse racing in the country. He held this position from 1975 to 1978.
Personal Life
Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. was the oldest child of Eduardo C. Cojuangco Sr. and Josephine B. Murphy. His mother was born in Baguio. Her father was an Irish-Canadian U.S. Army volunteer. His father, Eduardo Sr., was of Chinese descent.
He was married to Soledad "Gretchen" Oppen. They had four children together. Their children are Margarita "Tina" Cojuangco Barrera, Luisa "Lisa" Cojuangco-Cruz, Carlos "Charlie" Cojuangco, and Marcos "Mark" Cojuangco.
Death
Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. passed away on June 16, 2020. He died from heart failure and pneumonia. He was at the St. Luke's Medical Center – Global City. His death came just six days after his 85th birthday.
