Ramos laid to rest at Libingan
MANILA — Former president Fidel Ramos, the 12th Philippine president, was laid to rest at the Libingan ng mga Bayani on Tuesday morning.
The remains of Ramos, known as FVR, was buried next to the final resting place of former President Elpidio Quirino.
A career military man before winning the top office, Ramos, who was chief executive of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998, was accorded a state funeral with full military honors.
Filipinos paid their final respects to the former president as his cremated remains were transferred from Heritage Memorial Park to LNMB in Taguig City.
Ramos' granddaughter placed the urn in the gravesite. President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr., a relative of Ramos, handed over the folded Philippine flag to Ramos' wife and former first lady Amelita after his favorite song “Maalaala Mo Kaya” was played.
He died on July 31 at 94. Norman Legaspi, a longtime aide, told The Associated Press that the former chief executive had been going in and out of the hospital in the past years “due to a heart condition and had suffered from dementia.”
Marcos said the “legacy of [Ramos'] presidency will always be cherished and will be forever enshrined in the hearts of our grateful nation.”
Pope Francis extended Tuesday his condolences to Filipinos after the death of Ramos.
“Mindful of the late president’s years of service to the nation and his efforts in fostering the values of democracy, peace and the rule of law, I commend his soul to the mercy of the almighty
God,” Pope Francis said.
“Upon President Ramos’ family and all who mourn his passing, I invoke the divine blessings of consolation and peace,” he added.
GROWTH AND PEACE
Ramos, who succeeded Corazon Aquino oversaw a period of growth through deregulation and liberalization policies. He also pursued peace with communist rebels and Muslim separatists of the Moro
National Liberation Front.
During the brutal dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, Sr., Ramos led the Philippine Constabulary that committed human rights abuses and arrested dissidents.
He was later hailed a hero for withdrawing his support from Marcos. Aquino appointed Ramos as military chief and defense secretary.
He narrowly defeated the late Miriam Defensor
Santiago in the 1992 polls. Ramos was the first Protestant to win the elections
Ramos attended the US Military Academy at West Point and graduated in 1950. He fought during wars in Korea and Vietnam.
The former president was a civil engineer by profession and earned a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois in 1951.