by Ismael Magallanes Jr.
Article for NHCP Museo ng Kasaysayang Pampulitika ng Pilipinas
and NHCP Presidential Car Museum in commemoration of the
1st Death Anniversary of President Fidel V. Ramos
31 July 2023
“We must not short-change ourselves by falling prey to doomsayers and by just throwing up our hands in despair. Kaya natin ito! Kaya ito ng Pinoy! We have done it before. We can do it again!”
President Fidel V. Ramos
on addressing the problems plaguing the country. 06 January 1998
Born on 18 March 1928 in Lingayen, Pangasinan, Fidel Valdez Ramos or popularly known as Eddie Ramos, was the first among the three children of Narciso Ramos and Angela Valdez. His father Narciso was a journalist, politician, and diplomat, and was designated as Philippine Ambassador to various countries such as India, Taiwan, and Argentina. He was the Philippine signatory when the ASEAN Declaration was signed in Bangkok, Thailand in 1967. His mother Angela was a women’s rights advocate, educator, and the daughter of Hilario Valdez and Crispina Marcos. Crispina Marcos was the sister of Fabian Marcos – the paternal grandfather of President Ferdinand E. Marcos, making Eddie and President Marcos a second-degree cousin.
Eddie studied in a public school in Lingayen. During his childhood years, he already showed the ability to become a good leader. According to his elementary schoolmates, Eddie was friendly, easy to get along and a good leader. He studied at the University of the Philippines High School in Manila for a year and transferred to Mapua Institute of Technology High School Department. Eddie finished his secondary education at Centro Escolar University Integrated School in 1945. After the second world war, he pursued his tertiary education in the United States and enrolled as a cadet at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in military engineering in 1950. A year after, he finished his Master of Science in Civil Engineering at the University of Illinois.
As a fresh graduate of USMA and with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant, Eddie joined the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK) during the Korean War. He served with distinction as the platoon leader of the reconnaissance patrol of the 20th Battalion Combat Team that led the assault at Eerie Hill occupied by the Communist Chinese forces. After the war, he returned to the country and helped the government in the campaign against the Huk rebellion. When the Vietnam War broke out, he served as a non-combat civil military engineer and chief-of-staff of the Philippine Civic Action Group (PHILCAG).
Eddie’s military career continued to progress as he held some high-ranking positions. In 1972, when President Ferdinand E. Marcos declared Martial Law, he was appointed as the Chief of the Philippine Constabulary (PC), now the Philippine National Police (PNP). Several years later, he became the ex-officio and the first Director-General of the Integrated National Police. Eddie together with Gen. Renato de Villa established the Special Action Force (SAF), a special unit under the Philippine Constabulary that dealt against terrorist-related crimes in the country. In 1981, he became the Vice Chief-of-Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. When General Fabian Ver, Chief-of-Staff of AFP was involved in the assassination of Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr., Eddie served as the APF’s acting Chief-of-Staff until Gen. Ver’s reinstatement in 1985.
In February 1986, a snap election was held where President Marcos claimed victorious despite the allegations of electoral fraud. Millions of people flocked to EDSA to protest the fraud committed by Marcos and to show support to Corazon Aquino, Marcos’ rival, and widow of Senator Aquino. Eddie together with Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile went to Camp Crame and showed support to Mrs. Aquino. Eventually, the People Power ousted Marcos from power and Corazon Aquino became the new president. It was at this time that Eddie made his iconic jump upon finding out that Marcos left Malacañang.
Under the presidency of Aquino, Eddie was appointed as the Chief-of-Staff of the Armed Forces. As the Chief of the AFP, Eddie imposed changes and professionalized the military. He showed his reputation as a disciplined and competent military leader by addressing the issues of corruption and human rights abuses within its ranks. After serving in the Armed Forces, he was designated as the Secretary of National Defense and Chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council.
In 1991, Eddie declared his candidacy for the 1992 presidential elections but lost his nomination to Speaker Ramon Mitra to be the standard bearer of Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino. Eventually, he established his own party, the Partido Lakas ng Tao, and form a coalition with various political parties. Eddie became the standard bearer of the Lakas-NUCD-UMDP coalition and won the presidency against Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Eduardo Cojuangco, Ramon Mitra, Imelda Marcos, Jovito Salonga, and Salvador Laurel. Eddie took his oath as the country’s 12th President on 30 June 1992.
The Ramos administration focused on economic reform with its flagship program, the “Philippines 2000” – which aimed the country to be a newly industrialized nation by the year 2000. President Ramos implemented reforms and policies that aimed to attract foreign investment at fostering economic growth. He dismantled monopolies and cartels and opened the economy to foreign investors. During his administration, the country experienced economic stability and growth, as the Gross National Product averaged 5% annually. The unemployment rate went down from 9.8% to 8.4% at the end of 1997.
It was during his administration that the government entered and signed historic peace negotiations with various armed groups to address the root cause of insurgency, such as the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). These efforts helped lead to peace agreements that brought a degree of stability in the conflict-affected regions of the country.
As a former Chief of the Armed Forces, President Ramos signed in February 1995 Republic Act 7898, or the AFP Modernization Act which aimed to update and modernize the defense capabilities and assets of the branches of the AFP. However, the funding for this program was stopped in 1997. The law was amended 16 years later through RA 10349 signed by President Benigno Aquino III.
The Ramos administration ended in 1998 and was succeeded by Joseph Ejercito Estrada. Eddie remained active in various roles in helping the country in promoting regional stability and cooperation. He founded the Ramos Peace and Development Foundation Inc., a non-profit organization that serves as a catalyst for constructive change, and a medium for fostering unity, stability, and progress. He gave advice on dealing with national issues by writing columns in the Manila Bulletin. Eddie still supported the succeeding presidents after his administration. He served as the chairman emeritus of Lakas-CMD. In July 2016, he was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as Philippine Envoy to China to help strengthen the relations between China and the Philippines but eventually resigned a few months after. On his 94th birthday on 18 March 2022, the Fidel V. Ramos Presidential Library was launched. This is the first and so far, the only online presidential library. The online library documents the life of President Ramos and his achievements.
On 31 July 2022, Eddie died at the age of 94 at Makati Medical Centre. He was buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City.
Throughout his career, Eddie was remembered as a respected statesman and leader who showed discipline, dedication to public service, and commitment to nation-building.
REFERENCES:
Cortes, Rosario. The Philippine Presidents: 100 Years. New Day Publishers, 1999.
Thompson, Willard Scott. Trustee of the Nation: The Biography of Fidel V. Ramos. Anvil Publishing Inc., 2011.
Cal, Ben (2019). FVR Recalls Korean War Exploits. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1073067
Gargantiel, Francisco (2022). Remembering FVR: UP Joins the Nation in Mourning the Death of the Country’s 12th President. https://up.edu.ph/remembering-fvr-up-joins-the-nation-in-mourning-the-death-of-the-countrys-12th-president/
The Fidel V. Ramos Presidential Library. https://www.fvrlegacy.org/
Fidel V. Ramos, 94: Stabilizer in Chief. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1638194/fidel-v-ramos-94-stabilizer-in-chief