Fidel V. Ramos
Fidel Valdez Ramos , popularly known as FVR, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military officer to reach the rank of five-star general. Rising from second lieutenant to commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Ramos is credited for revitalizing and renewing international confidence in the Philippine economy during his six years in office.
Ramos rose through the ranks in the Philippine military early in his career and became Chief of the Philippine Constabulary and Vice Chief-of-Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines during the term of President Ferdinand Marcos. During the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, Ramos was hailed as a hero by many Filipinos for his decision to break away from the administration of Marcos, and pledge allegiance and loyalty to the newly established government of President Corazon C. Aquino. Prior to his election as president, Ramos served in the cabinet of President Aquino, first as chief-of-staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and later as Secretary of National Defense from 1986 to 1991. He was credited with the creation of the Philippine Army's Special Forces and the Philippine National Police Special Action Force. After his retirement, he remained active in politics, serving as advisor to his successors.
Ramos died of COVID-19 Omicron variant at the Makati Medical Center in Makati on July 31, 2022, at the age of 94.
Early life and education
Fidel Valdez Ramos was born on March 18, 1928, in Lingayen, Pangasinan, and grew up in Asingan during his childhood. His father, Narciso, was a lawyer, journalist and five-term legislator of the House of Representatives, who eventually rose to the position of secretary of foreign affairs. As such, Narciso was the Philippine signatory to the ASEAN declaration forged in Bangkok in 1967, and was a founding member of the Liberal Party. According to Ramos's biography for his presidential inauguration in 1992, Narciso served as one of the leaders of the anti-Japanese guerrilla group Maharlika, which was founded by Ferdinand Marcos. His mother, Angela Valdez, was an educator, woman suffragette, and member of the Valdez clan of Batac, Ilocos Norte, making him a second degree cousin of former President Ferdinand Marcos.He received elementary education in a Lingayen public school. Ramos began secondary education at the University of the Philippines High School , in Manila, and continued in the High School Department of Mapúa Institute of Technology. He graduated high school from Centro Escolar University Integrated School in 1945. Afterwards, he went to the United States as he received an appointment to the United States Military Academy, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Military Engineering degree. He also earned his master's degree in civil engineering at the University of Illinois and later took Civil Engineering Board Exam in 1953, where he placed 8th overall. He also held a master's degree in National Security Administration from the National Defense College of the Philippines and a master's degree in Business Administration from Ateneo de Manila University. In addition, he received a total of 29 honorary doctorate degrees.
Marriage
Ramos married Amelita Martinez on October 21, 1954, at the Central Church in Ermita, Manila. They started as friends while they were classmates at the UP High School and neighbors at Padre Faura Street in Manila. Together, they had five daughters: Angelita Ramos-Jones, Josephine Ramos-Samartino, Carolina Ramos-Sembrano, Cristina Ramos-Jalasco, and Gloria Ramos. They also have five grandsons and three granddaughters.Military career
Early career
Ramos went to the United States Military Academy at West Point where he graduated in 1950.During his stint at the Philippine Army, Ramos founded the Philippine Army Special Forces. Later, he was named as the commander of the Army's 3rd Division based in Cebu City, Cebu.
Ramos received several military awards including the Philippine Legion of Honor, the Distinguished Conduct Star, the Distinguished Service Star, Philippine Military Merit Medal, the U.S. Military Academy Distinguished Graduate Award and Legion of Merit, and the French Legion of Honor.
Korean War service
Ramos was a member of the Philippines' 20th Battalion Combat Team of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea that fought in the Korean War. He was an Infantry Reconnaissance Platoon Leader. Ramos was one of the heroes of the Battle of Hill Eerie, where he led his platoon to sabotage the enemy in Hill Eerie.Vietnam War service
Ramos was also in the Vietnam War as a non-combat civil military engineer and Chief of Staff of the Philippine Civic Action Group. It was during this assignment where he forged his lifelong friendship with his junior officer Maj. Jose T. Almonte, who went on to become his National Security Advisor during his administration from 1992 to 1998.Martial Law under Ferdinand Marcos
Implementation of Martial Law
In January 1972, Ramos was appointed head of the Philippine Constabulary, then a major service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which functioned as the country's national police. He served at this post at the time Ferdinand Marcos imposed Martial Law on September 21, 1972.In 1975, all civic and municipal police forces in the country were integrated by decree, and it became known as the Integrated National Police, which was under the control and supervision of the Philippine Constabulary. As head of the PC, Ramos was ex officio the INP's first concurrent Director-General.
Last years of the Marcos administration
Martial Law was formally lifted nine years later on January 17, 1981, but Marcos retained absolute powers. Due to his accomplishments, Ramos was one of the candidates for the position of Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in 1981, as replacement to the retiring General Romeo Espino who was the nation's longest serving chief of staff. Ramos lost to General Fabian Ver a graduate of the University of the Philippines, whom Marcos appointed to the top military post. Instead Ramos, a cousin of Marcos was named AFP Vice-Chief of staff in 1982, and promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, while remaining as PC-INP Chief.On May 12, 1983, a new unit in the former Philippine Constabulary was organized to deal with so-called "terrorist-related" crimes, and named as the Philippine Constabulary Special Action Force as a requirement of General Order 323 of Philippine Constabulary Headquarters. Fidel Ramos and Gen. Renato de Villa were the founders of the unit. De Villa tasked Rosendo Ferrer and Sonny Razon to organize a Special Action Force. Subsequently, a training program called the SAF Ranger Course, was used to train the 1st generation of SAF troopers, which numbered 149. Of that number, 26 were commissioned officers while the rest were enlisted personnel recruited from a wide range of PC units such as the defunct PC Brigade, the Long Range Patrol Battalion, the K-9 Support Company, PC Special Organized Group, the Light Reaction Unit of PC METROCOM, the Constabulary Off-shore Action Command, and other PC Units. Later on, they changed the name of the course to the SAF Commando Course.
On August 8, 1983, during a speech in Camp Crame to commemorate Philippine Constabulary Day, Marcos announced his removal of Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile from the chain of command, and the creation of a new arrangement with himself as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces replacing AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Fabian Ver. Marcos also removed the operational control of the Integrated National Police from the Philippine Constabulary under Gen. Ramos and transferred it under the direct control of Gen. Ver; the Constabulary then had only administrative supervision over the INP.
Role in the EDSA Revolution
On February 22, 1986, Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile protested alleged fraud committed by Marcos in the 1986 snap elections, withdrawing support and triggering the non-violent People Power Revolution. General Ramos later also defected and followed Enrile into Camp Crame, and the duo shifted their fealty to Corazón Aquino, the widow of Senator Benigno Aquino and Marcos' main election rival. On February 25, the "EDSA Revolution" reached its peak when Marcos, along with his family and some supporters, fled into exile in Hawaii with the assistance of the United States government, ending his 20-year rule, leaving Corazon Aquino to accede as the country's first female President. Later in life, Ramos would say he considered his role in the revolution as his "atonement" for his role in the implementation of Martial Law.Combat record
When belittled by the press regarding his combat record, Ramos responded with trademark sarcasm :Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces and Secretary of National Defense
After Corazon Aquino assumed the Presidency, she appointed Ramos as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and later Secretary of National Defense as well as Chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council, handling the government's response to disasters such as the 1990 Luzon earthquake and the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo.During this time, Ramos personally handled the military operations that crushed nine coup attempts against the Aquino government.
1992 presidential campaign: ED sa '92
In December 1991, Ramos declared his candidacy for president. However, he lost the nomination of the then-dominant party Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino to House Speaker Ramon Mitra Jr. Days later, he bolted from the LDP and founded his own party, the Partido Lakas Tao, inviting Cebu Governor Emilio Mario Osmeña to be his running mate. The party formed a coalition with the National Union of Christian Democrats of Senator & DFA Secretary Raul Manglapus and the United Muslim Democrats of the Philippines of Ambassador Sanchez Ali, and turned into Lakas–NUCD Ramos and Osmeña, together with Congressman Jose de Venecia, campaigned for economic reforms and improved national security and unity.He won the seven-way race on May 11, 1992, narrowly defeating popular Agrarian Reform Secretary Miriam Defensor Santiago. His running mate, Governor Osmeña, lost to Senator Joseph Estrada as vice president. Despite winning, he garnered only 23.58% of the vote, the lowest plurality in the country's history. The election results were marred by allegations of fraud as Santiago was leading the race for the first five days of counting but became second after a nationwide energy black-out, putting Ramos in first place. International media were already calling Santiago as the president-elect but withdrew their declarations because of the sudden change in positions in the vote tally. Santiago filed an electoral protest, but it was eventually junked by the Supreme Court. The quote, "Miriam won in the elections, but lost in the counting" became popular nationwide.
De los Santos alleged that Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi had channeled $200,000 to Ramos' 1992 election campaign. Philippine election laws prohibit accepting contribution from foreigners. Ramos dismissed the claim as "hearsay by itself, and is further based on a string of successive hearsay conversations" and challenged anyone who presumed the claim's veracity to produce evidence.