Fidel V. Ramos
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| Fidel Ramos | |
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12th President of the Philippines
2nd President of the 5th Republic |
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| In office June 30, 1992 – June 30, 1998 |
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| Vice President | Joseph Estrada |
| Preceded by | Corazon Aquino |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Estrada |
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| Born | March 18, 1928 Lingayen, Pangasinan, Philippines |
| Political party | Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats |
| Spouse | Amelita Martinez |
| Occupation | Military |
| Religion | United Methodist |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Nickname(s) | Eddie, FVR |
| Allegiance | Republic of the Philippines |
| Years of service | In active duty from 1951 until his retirement in 1988 |
| Rank | General |
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Fidel Valdez Ramos (born March 18, 1928) was the 12th President of the Philippines. He succeeded Corazon Aquino and governed until 1998, when he was succeeded by Joseph Estrada. He was the first and to date, the only non-Roman Catholic president of the Philippines.
During the authoritarian regime of President Ferdinand Marcos, Ramos was head of the Philippine Constabulary, implementing Marcos' declaration of martial law. In the 1986 People Power Revolution, Ramos defected from the government and was a key figure in the civilian demonstrations that forced Marcos into exile.
The first half of Ramos' six-year term as President was characterized by rapid economic growth and political stability in the country despite facing communist insurgencies, an Islamic separatist movement in Mindanao, and the onslaught of the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
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[edit] Early life and career
Fidel Ramos was born on March 18, 1928 in Lingayen, Pangasinan. His father, Narciso Ramos (1900-1986), was a lawyer, crusading journalist and 5-term legislator of the House of Representatives, who eventually rose to the position of Secretary of Foreign Affairs. As such, Narciso Ramos was the Philippine signatory to the ASEAN declaration forged in Bangkok in 1967 and was one of the founding fathers of the Liberal Party. His mother, Angela Valdez-Ramos (1905-1977), was an educator, woman suffragette and daughter of the respected Valdez clan of Batac, Ilocos Norte making him a second degree cousin to Ferdinand Marcos. He took his elementary education in Lingayen and secondary education at the University of the Philippines Integrated School and Centro Escolar University Integrated School.
In 1946, Ramos, barely months after enrolling in the Philippines' National University, won a government scholarship to the United States Military Academy in West Point. He pursued further studies in engineering following his graduation from West Point in 1950, obtaining a Masters Degree in Civil Engineering in the University of Illinois, where he was also a government scholar in 1951.
In his military career, Ramos rose from 2nd Lieutenant infantry platoon leader in the Philippine Expeditionary Force (PEFTOK) in 1952 during the Korean War to Chief of Staff of the Philippine Civil Action Group to Vietnam from 1966 to 1968. He is instrumental in founding the Philippine Army Special Forces, an elite paratroop unit skilled in community development as well as fighting communist insurgents.
Ramos, along with the Philippines' 20th Battalion Combat Team and his fellow West Point graduates of the 1950s, fought in the Korean War. Ramos was one of the heroes of the Battle of Hill Eerie[1], where he led his platoon to sabotage the enemy in Hill Eerie. He was also present in the Vietnam War as a non-combat civil military engineer.
Ramos has received several military awards including the Philippine Legion of Honor, the Gold Cross, Philippine Military Merit Medal, the United States Legion of Merit, the French Legion of Honor and the U.S. Military Academy Distinguished Award.
Ramos served the Marcos regime for more than 20 years — in the military, as head of the Philippine Constabulary, the country's national police force, and as a trusted advisor. He was a member of the infamous Rolex 12, a group of conspirators loyal to Marcos himself.
Ramos, together with Juan Ponce Enrile, the secretary of Defense, changed allegiance and sided with Aquino when the People Power Revolution erupted in 1986 and became the living symbol of military defiance against Marcos. The military followed his lead and swung the pendulum in her favor.
After Aquino assumed the Presidency, she appointed Ramos Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and later Secretary of National Defense, foiling seven coup attempts against the Aquino administration.
[edit] 1992 Presidential Elections
In December 1991, Ramos declared his candidacy for President. He however, lost the nomination of the dominant party Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) to House Speaker Ramon Mitra, Jr.. Days later, he bolted LDP and founded the Partido Lakas ng Tao (People Power Party), inviting Cebu Governor Emilio Mario Osmeña as his Vice President. The party formed a coalition with the National Union of Christian Democrats (NUCD) of Congressman Jose de Venecia and the United Muslim Democrats of the Philippines (UMDP) of Simeon Datumanong. Ramos and Osmeña campaigned for economic reforms and improved national security and unity. He was nicknamed as "Steady Eddie" as he campaigned well and gained a steady popularity during the campaign with popular support from President Aquino.
He won the seven-way race on May 11, 1992, narrowly defeating populist Agrarian Reform Secretary Miriam Defensor Santiago. 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, though cheating on a large scale has not been proven. However, his running mate, Governor Osmeña lost to Senator Joseph Estrada as Vice President.
[edit] Presidency
At the time of his assumption into power, Ramos was the oldest person to become president of the Philippines at the age of 64. He is also the first Protestant president of the country. The first few years of his administration (1992-1995) were characterized by economic boom, technological development, political stability and efficient delivery of basic needs to the people. During his time, he advocated party platforms as outline and agenda for governance. As in his case, he was the first Christian Democrat to be elected in the country, being the founder of Lakas-CMD (Christian Democratic Party). He was the one of the most influential leaders and the unofficial spokesman of Liberal Democracy in Asia.[citation needed]
[edit] Power Crisis
The Philippines then was experiencing widespread brownouts due to huge demand for electricity and antiquity of power plants. During his State of the Nation address on July 27, 1992, he requested Congress to enact a law that would create an energy department that would plan and manage the Philippines' energy demands. Congress only created an energy department but gave him special constitutional powers to resolve the power crisis. Using the powers given to him, Ramos issued licenses to independent power producers (IPP) to construct power plants within 24 months. The power crisis was resolved in 1994.
Unfortunately, Ramos issued supply contracts that guaranteed the government would buy whatever power the IPPs produced under the contract in U.S. dollars to entice investments in power plants. This became a problem during the East Asian Financial Crisis when the demand for electricity contracted and the Philippine Peso lost half its value. This caused the Philippine price of electricity to become the second highest in Asia, after Japan.
The country was considered risky by investors due to previous coup attempts by military adventurists led by Gregorio Honasan and experienced brownouts at an almost daily basis lasting 4-12 hours before he issued IPP licences. The low supply of power and perceived instability held back investments and modernization in the country. In addition, the Philippines was a pioneer in the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) scheme where private investors are invited to build certain government projects (i.e. tollways, powerplants, railways, etc.), make money by charging users, and transfer operation to the government after a set amount of time. As there was no literature or previous experience to such a scheme, most early contracts put a large and undue amount of risk on the government in cases of unfavorable changes in the business environment. Given such factors, most experts and academics considered the generous IPP supply contracts an understandable error and an honest mistake. However, due to the subjective nature of the circumstances, this is still highly debated.
[edit] Economic Reforms
During his administration, Ramos began implementing economic reforms intended to open up the once-closed national economy, encourage private enterprise, invite more foreign and domestic investment, and reduce corruption. Ramos was also known as the most traveled Philippine President in recent history with numerous foreign trips abroad, generating about US$ 20 billion worth of foreign investments to the Philippines.
To ensure a positive financial outlook on the Philippines, Ramos led the 4th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Summit in the Philippines on November 1996. He also instituted reforms in the tax system which includes a forced increase on VAT (E-VAT law) from 4% to 10% mandated by World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
Under his administration, the Philippines enjoyed economic growth and stability. The Philippine Stock Exchange in the mid-1990s was among the best in the world[citation needed] and his visions of 'Philippines 2000' that leads the country into a newly industrialized country in the world and the "Tiger Cub Economy in Asia".[2]
Philippines 2000 Five-Point Program:
- Peace and Stability
- Economic Growth and Sustainable Development
- Energy and Power Generation
- Environmental Protection
- Streamlined Bureaucracy
[edit] Peace with separatists
Ramos, a military general himself, made peace with the rebel panels. One of the contributions was his, being instrumental in the signing of the final peace agreement between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) led by Nur Misuari in 1996. He also ordered the resumption of peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) led by Salamat Hashim and the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front, which operates the New People's Army, led by Jose Maria Sison. Ramos created the National Unification Commission and appointed Haydee Yorac as its chairman. He granted the commission's request for amnesty to rebel military officers of the Reform the Armed forces Movement (RAM), led by Col. Gregorio (Gringo) Honasan, who led the 1989 coup d' etat that threatened to oust the Aquino administration (rumors said that he made 50 push-ups for the mutineers before the amnesty).
[edit] Spratly Islands
In early 1995, the Philippines discovered a primitive Chinese military structure on Mischief Reef in the Spratly Island, one hundred and thirty nautical miles off the coast of Palawan. The Philippine government issued a formal protest over China’s occupation of the reef and the Philippine Navy arrested sixty-two Chinese fishermen at Half Moon Shoal, eighty kilometers from Palawan. A week later, following confirmation from surveillance pictures that the structures were of military design, President Fidel Ramos had the military forces in the region strengthened. He ordered the Philippine Air Force to dispatch five F-5 fighters backed by four jet trainers and two helicopters, while the navy sent two additional ships. The People’s Republic of China had claimed that the structures were shelters for fishermen but these small incidents could have triggered a war in the South China Sea.
[edit] Migrant Workers Protection
One of the downturns of his administration was his experience in handling migrant workers protection. On the eve of his 67th birthday on March 17, 1995, Ramos was on a foreign trip when Flor Contemplación was hanged in Singapore. His last minute effort to negotiate with Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong never succeeded and he was marred with protests after his return to Manila. The protests also caused the resignation of Foreign Affairs Secretary Roberto Romulo and Labor Secretary Nieves Confesor from the Cabinet. He immediately recalled Philippine ambassador to Singapore Alicia Ramos and suspended diplomatic relations to Singapore. He created a special commission to look into the case and to try and rescue his sagging popularity. The commission was led by retired justice Emilio Gancayco. The Commission recommended the forced resignation of then Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) head David Corpin and 13 other government officials, including two labor attachés.
President Ramos also facilitated the enactment of Republic Act 8042, better known as the Magna Carta for Overseas Workers or the Migrant Workers Act. The Migrant Workers Act was signed into law on June 7, 1995. Learning from the lessons of Contemplación case, Ramos immediately ordered UAE Ambassador Roy Señeres to facilitate negotiations after learning the death penalty verdict of Sarah Balabagan on September 1995. Balabagan's sentence was lowered and she was released August 1996. After tensions cooled off, Ramos restored diplomatic relations with Singapore after meeting Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong during the sidelines of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations in New York City.
[edit] Final Years as President
One of his notable contributions to the Philippines was the revival of nationalistic spirit by embarking on a massive promotion campaign for the centennial of Philippine Independence. It was celebrated on June 12, 1998. One of his pet projects was the Centennial Expo and Amphitheater at the former Clark Air Base in Angeles City, Pampanga.
During Ramos' time, there was an attempt to amend the country's 1987 constitution; a process popularly known to many Filipinos as Charter Change or "Cha-Cha."
[edit] The Death Penalty
While campaigned for Presidency, Fidel Ramos declared his support for reinstating of the death penalty. Capital punishment was abolished for all crimes in 1987, making The Philippines the first Asian country to do so. In 1996 Ramos signed a bill that returned capital punishment with the electric chair (method used from 1923 to 1976, making Philippines the only country to do so outside U.S.) "until the gas chamber could be installed"[3]. However, no one was electrocuted nor gassed, because previously used chair was destroyed earlier and at least Philippine adopted the lethal injection. Some people were put to death by this means, until the death penalty was reabolished again in 2006.
[edit] Post-presidency
After his presidency, Ramos remained one of the many influential political leaders in the Philippines, amidst rumors of his alleged involvement in coup attempts and his alleged desire to perpetuate himself in power. He served as the Carlyle Group Asia Advisor Board Member until the board was disbanded in February 2004.
In January 2001, Ramos was instrumental in the success of the second EDSA Revolution, a four-day popular revolt that peacefully overthrew Philippine president Joseph Estrada that placed Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the presidential seat. Arroyo repaid Ramos by appointing him as the Philippines Goodwill Ambassador to the World Economic Forum.
He is currently the Chairman Emeritus of the Lakas CMD (Christian-Muslim Democrats) Party, formerly known as Lakas NUCD-UMDP or the Partido Lakas Tao-National Union of Christian Democrats-Union of Muslim Democrats of the Philippines.
Expressing his belief in continued economic progress, governance and stability, Ramos successfully convinced President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo not to resign from office at the height of the election-rigging scandal in July 2005. Ramos repeatedly stated that the scandal is nowhere as grave as that of People Power Revolutions of 1986 and 2001, citing factors such as the stagnant Philippine economy in the final years of the Marcos regime as well as the allegedly massive corruption of the Estrada administration. He did however push Arroyo into explaining her vocal involvement in the wiretapped conversation with an election official.
Ramos also unveiled his proposals for constitutional change of the country. Citing the need to be more economically competitive, globalization and the need to improve governance for all Filipinos, Ramos suggested that government should start the process of charter change with a set deadline in 2007 (by which time the new charter and new government will take effect). Ramos supports the transformation of the country's political system from the Philippine presidential-bicameral-system into a unicameral parliament in transition to a federal form.
[edit] Maintained Political Clout
Recently, Fidel V. Ramos had separate meetings with politicians. The first was held at his Makati City office with the presence of Senate President Franklin Drilon and former Senator Tito Sotto. Afterwards, another private meeting followed, this time with President Arroyo.
In relation to the meetings, Ramos rejected invitations from the political opposition and stressed that his support is with the administration. He admitted however that Arroyo and her team has been sluggish in implementing the much-needed reforms which he suggested (including the need for Arroyo to step down from power in 2007). Political adviser Gabriel Claudio confirmed the Ramos-Arroyo meeting and said that a compromise over reforms has been reached.
At a high-profile summit of the Lakas-CMD held January 15, 2006, delegates of the party rejected his proposals and favored Arroyo's initiative.
He is currently representing the Philippines in the ASEAN Eminent Persons Group, task to draft the Charter of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). He was also a member of numerous international groups and fora, and is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Boao Forum for Asia (also one of the co-founders of BFA) and Co-Chairman of the Global Meeting of the Emerging Markets Forum (EMF). Ramos was heavily recommended for the position of the United Nations envoy to Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) in June 2006. He is a Member of the Global Leadership Foundation, an organization which works to promote good governance around the world.[4]
He founded the Ramos Foundation for Peace and Development (RPDEV) with offices located in the Urban Bank Building (now ExportBank Plaza).
In May 2007, Ramos and Corazon Aquino joins nearly 60 former world leaders including former United States Presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush Sr, Jimmy Carter, and former British Prime Minister Margaret Tatcher, asking the Myanmar's military government for the release of detained Myanmar opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.
On August 18, 2007, 24th death Anniversary of Benigno Aquino, Jr. Ramos received a Benigno S. Aquino Jr. (BSA) Award for Nationalism from by the Federation of Catholic Schools’ Alumni/Alumnae Associations during the Good Citizenship Congress at the University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance (UPNCPAG) in Quezon City. Ramos was among the 6 recipients which include former Senators Rene V. Saguisag and Wigberto Tanada, Raul Concepcion, Henrietta de Villa, and Lourdes Quezon.[5]
[edit] Facts
- His father, Narciso Ramos, was a lawyer, crusading journalist and a five-term legislator (representing Pangasinan) in the House of Representatives. He served eight Philippine Presidents as a Congressman, as a Secretary of National Defense, as a Secretary of Foreign Affairs, as an Ambassador/Diplomat and as a Philippine Delegate in several international meetings. Historically, Narciso Ramos was the Philippine founding signatory to the ASEAN declaration forged in Bangkok, Thailand on 1967.
- Former President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos was his second cousin, whom he eventually ousted in the People Power Revolution on February 1986, becoming the living symbol of military defiance against Marcos dictatorship.
- His sister, Leticia Ramos-Shahani, was a politician and a writer. She had represented the Philippines in the United Nations becoming the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Social and Humanitarian Affairs; she was later elected Senator in the Philippines, and rose to Senate President Pro-Tempore position during her brother’s presidency.
- In 2000, Fidel Ramos (Class 1950) alongside fellow members of the Long Gray Line and West Pointers - fellow Korean War veteran U.S. Air Force Colonel/Astronaut Edwin Aldrin (Class 1951) and American General Frederick M. Franks, Jr. (1959), were awarded Distinguished Graduate Award from the Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy in the West Point, USA.
- In the Korean War, Fidel Ramos, a lieutenant West Pointer, lead a United Nations Filipino Platoon (20th BCT PEFTOK-UNC) on May 21, 1951 to victory at the Battle of Hill Eerie and established a United Nation post in the infamous hill.
- Fidel Ramos belongs to the modern generation of Asian leaders in the 20th Century - Mahathir bin Muhammad (Malaysia), Lee Kuan Yew (Singapore), Bhumibol Adulyadej (King Rama IX of Thailand), King Norodom Sihanouk (Cambodia), Lee Teng-hui (Taiwan), Soeharto (Indonesia) and Jiang Zemin (China), all were born in the decade of 1920s.
- During his presidency, Ramos was featured in the main and cover story of TIME Magazine, May 15, 1995, lauding him for his "no-nonsense leadership" after years of misrule by his predecessors, showing that "democracy is no enemy of development." While NEWSWEEK Magazine christened the Philippines as "Asia's New Tiger" in its cover story on November 25, 1996. It details how President Ramos transformed the country from the "Sickman of Asia" to an Economic Tiger. Ramos was also featured in Readers' Digest Cover Story in mid-1996, "The man atop Asia next Economic Tiger".
- He is currently the only man in Philippine history to have held every rank in the Philippine military from Second Lieutenant to Commander-in-Chief.
[edit] Criticisms
Ramos was accused of human rights violations for his role in the declaration of Martial Law during the Marcos era; he was the commanding officer of the Philippine Constabulary during Marcos time.
Like many presidents in the Philippines, Ramos was also accused of corruption. The PEA-AMARI Manila Bay reclamation deal and the conversion of the military base in Fort Bonifacio for private development have been tainted with alleged corruption. All the accusations were never proven.
Leftist groups have also criticised Ramos' economic reforms such as privatization claiming that the economic growth posted during his presidency was "artificial." They blamed him for the slowdown of the Philippine economy during the 1997 East Asian financial crisis.[6]
[edit] References
- Zaide, Sonia M. (1999). The Philippines: A Unique Nation. All Nations Publishing. ISBN 971-642-071-4.
- Bardos, Phil, Cold War Warriors: The Story of the Achievements and Leadership of the Men of the West Point Class of 1950, (United States, 2000)
- Johnson, Bryan, Four Days of Courage: The Untold Story of the Fall of Ferdinand Marcos, (Toronto, Canada, 1987)
- Cal, Ben, FVR Through the Years, (Washington D.C., USA, 1998)
- Hamilton-Paterson, James, America's Boy: The Marcoses and the Philippines, (Granta Books, London, Great Britain, 1998)
- Lazaro, Isagani L., Mga Dakilang Lider na Pilipino, 5th Edition, (National Book Store, Mandaluyong City, Philippines, 2004)
- Chŏnsa Pʻyŏnchʻan Wiwŏnhoe, The history of the United Nations forces in the Korean War, Volume I-VI, (Seoul, Ministry of National Defense, Republic of Korea, 1972-77)
- Ramos Presidential Center, Makati City
- Villasanta, Johnny F., 20th Battalion Combat Team (Leaders), The Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (1950-1955), http://www.geocities.com/peftok/20thbct.html, (August 26, 2006)
- ^ PEFTOK Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea.
- ^ Gregorio F. Zaide, Sonia M. Zaide, Philippine History and Government, Sixth Edition, All-Nations Publishing Co. (Quezon City), 2004.
- ^ BBC NEWS | Programmes | From Our Own Correspondent | Philippines 'restores' death penalty
- ^ http://www.g-l-f.org/pagebuilder.asp?id=239
- ^ Manila Bulletin, Ramos hails Ninoy’s sacrifice, urges moral integrity among leaders
- ^ Philippines left confronts the economic crisis (1998-02-18). Retrieved on 2007-01-20.[]
[edit] External links
- Fidel V. Ramos Official Website
- The Philippine Presidency Project
- Fidel Ramos Community Forum
- Dark legacy: Human rights under the Marcos regime
- www.gmanews.tv/story, Woman gets wish to meet ‘boyfriend’ FVR in the flesh
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Fabian Ver |
Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines 1986–1988 |
Succeeded by Renato De Villa |
| Preceded by Rafael M. Ileto |
Philippine Secretary of National Defense 1988–1991 |
Succeeded by Renato De Villa |
| Preceded by Corazón Aquino |
President of the Philippines 1992–1998 |
Succeeded by Joseph Estrada |
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| Persondata | |
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| NAME | Ramos, Fidel |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Ramos, Fidel Valdez;Ramos, Eddie |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998 |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 18, 1928 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Lingayen, Philippines |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
