A soldier walking past flowers at the wake of former president Ramos, at the Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City, Metro Manila. - Reuters
MANILA (Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network): President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr on Thursday described the late president Fidel V. Ramos as a “symbol of stability” after the 1986 Edsa Revolution that removed the Marcoses from power.
Marcos visited the wake of Ramos at the Heritage Park in Taguig City on Thursday morning.
The President was accompanied by Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez and Special Assistant to the President Anton Lagdameo.
The President said he went to the wake to offer his condolences to the family of the late chief executive.
“I just reminded Mrs Ramos on how FVR (Fidel V. Ramos), when he became president, was a symbol of stability,” Marcos told reporters in a chance interview.
“After all the tumultuous events in 1986, when he came into the presidency, he brought calm and he brought stability to our country,” he added.
He expressed gratitude to the former President “for all his service throughout his life as a soldier and as a public servant.”
“For that, we clearly have suffered the loss for our country. But, the memories of him will be good because of the good work he did for the Philippines,” Marcos said.
Marcos also pointed out that he and Ramos were related, saying that the former president’s death was also a “family event.” Ramos is a distant uncle of the President.
Former president Ramos will be accorded a state funeral with full military honours, Malacanang earlier said.
Ramos served as the president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He died at the age of 94.
During the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution, Ramos, then the chief of the defunct Philippine Constabulary, withdrew his support from then president Ferdinand Marcos Sr, and supported then presidential candidate Corazon Aquino.
Ramos was a second cousin of the late former president Ferdinand Marcos, the father of current President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Marcos has declared 10 days of national mourning for the death of Ramos.
The former President’s wake started on Thursday, Aug 4 and will last until Aug 8. He will be laid to rest in Taguig City on Aug 9.
