Fidel V. Ramos, a former president, passed away on Sunday at the age of 94, according to his family.
“The Ramos family is profoundly saddened to announce the passing of former President Fidel Valdez Ramos,” it said in a statement.
“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,” the family added.
Frequently referred to as FVR and Eddie Ramos, the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998 was a popularly recognized Filipino general and politician. He was the only career military commander who advanced from second lieutenant to commanding officer of the armed forces and attained the rank of five-star general/admiral. Ramos was widely acknowledged and loved by many for reviving and restoring worldwide trust in the Philippine economy throughout his six years in government.
Early in his military career, Ramos progressed through the ranks, and during the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, he was appointed Chief of the Philippine Constabulary and Vice Chief-of-Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Fidel V. Ramos dies at 94
Ramos was acclaimed as a hero by many Filipinos during the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution for his choice to secede from President Marcos’ administration and pledge allegiance and loyalty to the recently constituted government of President Corazon Aquino.
Fidel V. Ramos served in the administration of President Corazon Aquino from 1986 until 1991, first as secretary of national defense and then as chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
He is credited for founding both the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police and the Special Forces of the Philippine Army.
In June 2016, Rodrigo Duterte acknowledged that Ramos had pushed him to run for politics in order that “Mindanao will finally have a Filipino president.” Ramos was chosen by President Rodrigo Duterte on July 23, 2016, to serve as the Philippines’ representative to China in an effort to reestablish bilateral ties after a highly charged diplomatic conflict over the South China Sea.
However, Fidel V. Ramos sent his resignation on November 1, 2016, citing that he had underestimated the likelihood and impact of a Duterte administration and that Duterte’s drug war had resulted in the deaths of at least 8,000 Filipino suspects.
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