Marcos: We lost a great leader. This is a sad day for the nation
Fidel Valdez Ramos, the bespectacled, cigar-chomping 12th President of the Republic of the Philippines who earned the moniker “Steady Eddie” for being unflappable as he led the country during uncertain times from 1992 to 1998, passed away Sunday. He was 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. We will announce wake and funeral arrangements in the near future,” his family said in an official statement.
Malacañang said Ramos left behind “a colorful legacy and a secure place in history for his participation in the great changes of our country, both as a military officer and chief executive.”
In a Facebook post, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Ramos “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 said.
“I call on all Filipinos to pray for the eternal repose of Mr. Ramos. The legacy of his presidency will always be cherished and will be forever enshrined in the hearts of our grateful nation,” he added.
In his inaugural speech in 1992, Ramos, the first Protestant to win the presidency, said: “…Power must flow to our neighborhoods, our communities, our groups, our sectors, and our institutions–for it is by collective action that we will realize the highest of our hopes and dreams.”
The presidency, Ramos said in his foreword to the book “Behind the Red Pen” written by his former close-in writer, Jojo Terencio, was “a matter of destiny.”
“Kaya ba natin ito? Kayang-kaya basta tayo ay sama-sama! (Can we do this? We can as long as we work together),” wrote the former chief executive who was also known as “FVR.”
Terencio in his book said he associated the Steady Eddie moniker with “grace under pressure.”
“Even when faced with big controversies and crises, FVR was always cool—or at least that’s what he appeared to be in public and even in our presence, his staff,” he said.
The former presidential close-in writer likewise recalled how Ramos would always say “Old soldiers never die.”
Among the highlights of Ramos’ career in the uniformed service was serving as chief of the Philippine Constabulary under his second cousin, the late former President Ferdinand Marcos.
A graduate of the prestigious West Point military academy in the United States, he was also part of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK) during the Korean War and led a Philippine contingent during the Vietnam War.
In 1986, he joined the EDSA Revolution, together with then-Defense chief Juan Ponce Enrile, that ousted Marcos and led to the presidency of Corazon Aquino—who incidentally marks her death anniversary today, August 1.
He would, in various media interviews, describe his role in the peaceful revolt as his “legacy” and “atonement.”
After succeeding Aquino, his administration was best known for its aggressive push for family planning as well as for its “Philippines 2000” program that aimed to industrialize the country.
The peace agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front was also signed under his watch.
His administration was defined by deregulation and liberalization policies, an economic surge and a lower poverty rate, as well as a push to break monopolies in the transportation and communication sectors.
As a private citizen, Ramos was among those who convinced then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to run in the 2016 presidential elections.
He would later serve as Duterte’s envoy for talks with China.
And for 32 years in a row—up until 2018—Ramos would repeat his famous EDSA People Power jump to mark the anniversary of the historic bloodless revolt.
Ahead of last year’s anniversary, Ramos said in a statement: “Our nation’s destiny remains uncertain, but her history is evidence that we always succeed in achieving our shared aspirations when we work together. The revolution is not over and the work remains unfinished until every Filipino enjoys the freedoms and rights embodied in our Constitution.”
