BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR and VICTOR REYES
FORMER President Fidel V. Ramos, more popularly known as “FVR,” passed away yesterday afternoon at the age of 94.
“The Ramos family is profoundly saddened to announce the passing of former President Fidel Valdez Ramos. We thank you all for respecting our privacy, as the family takes some time to grieve together,” a statement from the Ramos family said.
The family also said announcements about wake and funeral arrangements will be made later.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, in a Facebook post, sent his condolences to the family of his distant uncle. Ramos and Marcos’ father, the late former President Ferdinand Marcos, are second cousins.
“I extend my deepest condolences to the family of former President Fidel Valdez Ramos who passed away today, having lived a full life as a military officer and public servant. Our family shares the Filipino people’s grief on this sad day. We did not only lose a good leader but also a member of the family,” Marcos Jr. Said adding the legacy of Ramos’ presidency will always be cherished.
Tributes poured in for the former president hailed by many as a hero of the 1986 “People Power” uprising that toppled the Marcos dictatorship in the 80s.
Speaker Martin Romualdez, president of the ruling Lakas-CMD party, mourned the passing of Ramos, it chairman emeritus, saying the party lost a “great leader and a dear friend, one who is a pillar of strength and an inspiration to all.”
“President Ramos will be remembered as one of the great Filipino leaders that took good governance to heart. His experience as a military general and his innate charm set the blueprint for what Philippine leaders should be: tough when necessary, but with a caring heart for the common Filipino. FVR is a tough act to follow. His legacy will never be forgotten,” he said.
Interior Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos joined Filipino people in mourning Ramos’ death.
He said Ramos “left an imprint of good public service within the walls and history of our nation.”
“FVR’s legacy of good governance will serve as a beacon of inspiration as we altogether aim to deliver the highest quality of public service to the people we serve,” he added.
The Armed Forces said: “Our countrymen will always remember FVR’s positive outlook and peace advocacy. It was during his presidency when the final peace accord was signed between the Philippine government and the Moro National Liberation Front.”
PERIOD OF PEACE
Ramos served as 12th president of the country (1992 to 1998) and the second president since the 1986 People Power revolution.
He became a hero to many for defecting from Marcos’ government, where he led the national police force, spurring the dictator’s downfall during the 1986 popular uprising against his rule. Others, though, would not forgive or forget his role in enforcing martial law under the Marcos regime.
Ramos, famous in later years for holding unlit cigars, narrowly won a contested election in 1992 to replace Corazon Aquino. Though he gained less than 23% of the vote, Ramos soon polled at 66% support and his presidency was remembered for a period of peace, stability and growth.
Ramos held every rank in the Philippine army from second lieutenant to commander-in-chief. He never lost his military bearing and swagger, bragging many times “No soft jobs for Ramos.”
The former diplomat’s son became the only Methodist leader of the mainly Roman Catholic country.
His six-year administration opened the country’s economy to foreign investment through deregulation and liberalization policies.
Ramos broke up monopolies in the transportation and communications sectors. Through special powers granted by Congress he restored the ailing electricity sector, ending debilitating 12-hour power outages that plagued the country.
During his tenure, the economy surged and poverty rates fell to 31% from 39% through his Social Reform Agenda.
Ramos fought right-wing, leftist and Islamic rebels during his time in the military, but later held peace talks with all “enemies of the state”, including rogue soldiers who attempted nearly a dozen times to unseat Aquino during her tenure.
It was also under his administration that the government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) signed a historic peace treaty.
Ramos was a multi-tasking workaholic and athletic leader. When he was military chief, he would play golf and jog at the same time, running after his ball. His early morning jog was legendary among his staff officers and even at 80, he would jump to reenact what he did during the revolt in 1986.
Born in Pangasinan, Ramos graduated from the US Military Academy in West Point, New York and later joined the Philippine Army.
Ramos, then a second lieutenant, was part of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korean during the Korean war in the 1950s. He served as a reconnaissance platoon leader in the Chorwon- Kumwha-Pyongyang area in North Korea.
He later held key positions in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, including chief of the Philippine Constabulary (now Philippine National Police) which used to be under the military.
Ramos became the AFP vice chief in 1982 and was appointed AFP chief in 1984 when Gen. Favian Ver was suspended during the investigation of the August 1983 assassination of Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr.
In 1985, Ver was reinstated as AFP chief after he was cleared from charges from the Aquino assassination, forcing Ramos to return to his old post as AFP vice chief.
In February 1986, Ramos and then-Defense chief Juan Ponce Enrile withdrew their support from the elder Marcos during People Power Revolution that forced Marcos to flee to US.
Ramos was named AFP chief by Marcos’ successor and Aquino’s widow, Corazon Aquino, and defended Aquino administration from six coup plots.
Ramos retired from the military in January 1988 and assumed the post of defense secretary shortly after. He served as DND secretary until July 18, 1991 and became president a year later.
AFP MODERNIZATION
The Department of the National Defense (DND) mourned the death of Ramos who served as DND chief from 1988 to 1991.
DND officer-in-charge Jose Faustino Jr said Ramos was a “staunch advocate for the modernization and professionalization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.”
“He underscored the importance of building a strong military organization and promoting collaboration with different stakeholders to uphold the nation’s internal stability and security,” he said.
Faustino said Ramos’ “storied career in the military and in the public service earned him the admiration of Filipinos across political divides.”
“The Department extends its sympathies to the family and friends of President Ramos during this difficult time. May God grant him eternal rest,” said Faustino.
DND spokesman Arsenio Andolong said Ramos “did a lot” for the defense and military establishments, noting that it was during the Ramos presidency when government began implementing the AFP modernization program which is is continuing up to this time.
“He was a decorated soldier, diplomat as well as the secretary of national defense aside from being the President so his career was really sterling in all sense of the word,” said Andolong.
The Philippine National Police also mourned Ramos’ death of Ramos.
“The nation lost a great leader. We are one with our fellow countrymen in expressing our deepest condolences to the family of the former president,” said PNP public information office chief Brig. Gen. Roderick Alba. — With Wendell Vigilia and Reuters
