Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr.

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Eduardo "Danding" Murphy Cojuangco, Jr. (born June 10, 1935) is the chairman of San Miguel Corporation, the largest food and beverage corporation in the Philippines, and was a candidate for the Philippine presidency in 1992, ultimately losing to Fidel Ramos. He tested the political waters in 2003, planning to run in the 2004 Presidential and Local Elections, but soon withdrew. He was a close advisor and personal friend to former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, which led him to become estranged from his cousin, Corazon Aquino, who after Marcos' ouster succeeded him as president. Cojuangco is of partial Irish, Spanish, and Chinese descent.

Cojuangco was a member of the Rolex 12, a group of 12 men who were closest to Marcos and allegedly were his enforcers of Martial Law. Cojuangco also was accused by the military men at the scene of Benigno Aquino, Jr.'s assassination, as the leader who orchestrated the crime.

He is currently the chairman emeritus of the Nationalist People's Coalition, the party he founded in 1992 which served as his vehicle to further his aspirations in the 1992 presidential elections.

He was also an advocate for sports in the country through using his company as sponsors for various events. He is notable for supporting basketball in a huge way since the 1980s as a basketball godfather for President Marcos with the famed Northern Consolidated teams of coach Ron Jacobs and the three SMC owned teams currently playing in the Philippine Basketball Association (the flagship San Miguel Beermen, the Barangay Ginebra Kings, and the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants).

He studied at University of the Philippines, Los Baños and California State College.^[1]

[edit] Thoroughbred horse racing

Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr. is the owner of Gooree Stud at Mudgee, New South Wales, a Thoroughbred racing and breeding operation whose horses compete in Australia and New Zealand. Cojuangco's noted horses includes the American colt Manila, who won the 1986 Breeders' Cup Turf, the 2002 Australian Derby winner, Don Eduardo and multiple Group 1 winner Desert War.