Draft:Amadea Angela Aquino

Amadea Angela Aquino (aka Angela Aquino - born October 9, 1978), is an Asian American human rights advocate based in New York City. She is the founder of Equal Rights for Children, a non-profit organization, advocating for the rights of marginalized children, such as those born out of wedlock, recruited into terrorism and those with undocumented status.

Aquino was the petitioner of a big landmark case Aquino vs Aquino GR 208912. The Philippine Supreme Court ruled unanimously in her favor, with the decision penned by Supreme Court Justice Marvic Leonen. This ruling struck down a 300-year-old Iron Curtain Rule, setting forth a new legal doctrine allowing children born to unmarried parents to obtain an inheritance through their grandparents. This redefines succession laws for children born out of wedlock.

Aquino is a candidate for the 2025 Public Advocate elections in New York City. Where she will be competing against encumbent Jumaane Williams as a democratic Nominee for 2025 Primary Election. As a candidate her platform focuses on advocating for Mental Health, Develop Affordable Housing Projects, encourage   International Businesses to invest in New York City Communities, and   Peace and Order. She also plans to promote a platform that will provide literacy on Middle East issues, Terrorism that aims to promote for unity, respect and deal with issues that affects New Yorkers daily such as anti-semitism and Islamophobia.

Angela’s Advocacy against Children being Recruited by terrorists began when her Uncle United Nations Ambassador Libran Cabactulan a life long career diplomat sphere headed a rescue operation of children who were jailed in Middle East and were to be trafficked as children “ soldiers” by terrorist organizations. From this Aquino saw the importance of Relationships and thinking out of the box to resolve high conflict and the power of advocacy for the people who are most vulnerable and in need.

https://armatecglobal.com/ambassador-libran-n-cabactulan/ Sadly this is a Global situation that has not yet reached main stream attention in which the  United Nations Children of Armed Conflict faces challenges in resolving as hundred of thousands of vulnerable children all over the world are being recruited into. Angela’s goal in the advocacy is to create a strong social awareness that will create a pressure to global leaders to resolve this issue in their home countries.

Angela’s Human Rights and Children’s Rights advocacy stemmed from decades long of fighting for Justice herself and understands the impact of legislations in People Lives and the importance of Law Makers and Law Decision Makers in putting action into laws that will provide relief, protection and liberty to the oppressed.

Early life and education
Aquino was born on October 9, 1978, the only daughter of Susan Kuan, a Chinese Immigrant, and Arturo Cabaguio Aquino, a Spanish-Filipino real estate developer.

Aquino attended St.Scholastica's College, a private high school in Manila. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Marketing from De La Salle University in Manila, Philippines. Aquino also studied Real estate development at the New York Real Estate Institute in Manhattan.

Landmark Case: Aquino vs Aquino GR 208912
Aquino’s father passed away before marrying her mother, resulting in her being classified as an illegitimate child. Despite this, her grandfather, Miguel Aquino, recognized her as his own and provided for her. However, upon her grandfather's death, she was denied her inheritance due to the Philippine legal system, which restricted inheritance rights for illegitimate children.

When Aquino first petitioned her case, the Office of the Solicitor (OSG) Solicitor General Jose Calida claimed that without her father's will or other legal documents, she was barred from establishing her filiation. Aquino responded by arguing that it was "unreasonable, illogical, and even absurd" to demand a document signed by her deceased father, stating a "dead man cannot sign a document to prove the filiation of his child."

Aquino pursued her rights through a nearly two-decade legal battle. In the landmark case Aquino vs. Aquino (GR 313149), she ultimately prevailed with a unanimous 15-0 decision by the Philippine Supreme Court, authored by Justice Marivic Leonen, a progressive jurist and Columbia University alumnus. The 47-page ruling redefined succession laws, allowing illegitimate children to inherit from their grandparents, and struck down the 300-year-old Iron Curtain Rule (Article 992).

Equal Rights for Children
Aquino launched the non-profit organization Equal Rights for Children in December 2021 to raise awareness for children's rights. Equal Rights for Children follows the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The organization focuses on raising awareness for marginalized groups, such as child soldiers and undocumented children.



The platform has gained attention and support from various industries, including fashion, film, and the arts, to raise awareness and promote solutions for these global issues. This includes support from Manny Pacquiao, who sponsored the Couture Fashion Week at New York Fashion Week for the organization.

Film
Aquino has experience in the film industry. She is currently collaborating with Mandala Productions on Chiaroscuro (an Italian word that means "light-dark"), a fictional memoir dedicated to her father that advocates for children recruited for war.