The remains of the late former President Fidel V. Ramos was laid to rest at the Libingan ng mga Bayani after a funeral march and full military honors.
Former President Fidel V. Ramos, who died July 31 (Sunday), was laid to rest after a state burial, at the Libingan ng mga Bayani beside the tomb of the late former President Elpidio Quirino. He was 94.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. attended the state burial and handed to former First Lady Amelita “Ming” Ramos the flag that was draped on the casket during the funeral march to LNMB and after appropriate military honors.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. hands the folded Philippine flag that was draped on the casket of former President Fidel V. Ramos to former First Lady Amelita "Ming" Ramos
According to a timetable provided by organizers, the remains of the country's 12th president arrived at the ceremony at 10:30 a.m. with full military honors. At 10:45 a.m., the funeral procession and march to the president's burial ground started.
Funeral and cemetery services and ceremonies will start at 11:30 a.m. after the procession. At noon, the ceremonies are expected to end.
Soldiers carry the casket bearing the remains of former President Fidel V. Ramos on the way to the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
Organizers request those attending the funeral to come dressed in white and to carry umbrellas because of the inclement weather.
Ramos’ executive secretary Eduardo Ermita praised his boss for keeping the country stable through turbulent times while pursuing peace with numerous rebel factions in his eulogy given on Saturday.
As a young officer and fellow aide de camp in 1959, Ermita claimed to have had the honor and privilege of working alongside Ramos in a various post up to his retirement from the military in 1988.
“He exhausted his power of persuasion to influence the opponents to lay down their arms, but only after letting the destabilizers realize that the full force of the AFP is ready to crush them,” Ermita said, referring to one attempt to overthrow the Aquino government in 1990, the Philippine Star reported.
He recalled Ramos dispatching him to Libya in 1992 to ask the late Col. Moammar Gaddafi for help in reviving the peace negotiations with the Nur Misuari led Moro National Liberation Front that resulted in the 1996 peace agreement.
“President Fidel V. Ramos is much revered, respected, admired and loved by the people, especially those who worked with and under him while in the military service and those he met while president of the Republic. Many feel the loss of a friend, a leader and fellow Filipino, young and old alike,” Ermita said.
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