James Earl Carter, Jr., or simply Jimmy Carter, the 100-year-old former US president and Nobel peace laureate who rose from humble beginnings in rural Georgia to lead the nation from 1977 to 1981, has died, his nonprofit foundation announced Sunday.
Carter has been in hospice care since mid-February 2023 at his home in Plains, Georgia—the same small town where he was born and once ran a peanut farm before becoming governor of the Peach State and running for the White House.
The 39th US president died “peacefully” at his home in Plains, “surrounded by his family,” the Carter Center said in a statement.
“My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and unselfish love,” Chip Carter said in the statement.
Rosalynn, Carter’s wife of 77 years, died on November 19, 2023 at age 96.
The former president, who looked frail, poignantly appeared at her memorial service in a wheelchair, with a blanket on his lap bearing their likenesses.
Still, Carter was the longest-lived US president—an outcome that seemed unlikely back in 2015 when the Southern Democrat revealed he had brain cancer.
Meanwhile, President Marcos paid tribute to Carter, describing him as a humanitarian who exemplified servant leadership and a relentless advocate for universal values such as peace, human rights, and compassion for the marginalized.
In a statement, the President lauded Carter for his commitment to addressing global challenges and for living out his principles.
“Jimmy Carter, former president of the United States, was a humanitarian who practiced what he preached: houses for the homeless and human rights for the oppressed,” Mr. Marcos said.
The Philippine leader highlighted Carter’s work as a peacemaker and a champion for prosperity in communities burdened by poverty and conflict.
“Guided by his faith, he was a servant leader who pursued peace in places torn by war and prosperity in societies broken by want,” Mr. Marcos added.
He noted that Carter’s dedication to these causes resonates globally, including in the Philippines, where Filipinos hold similar values as the foundation of a “better, kinder society.”
“These are universal values he fought for which are embraced by people everywhere, including Filipinos, as the cornerstone of a better, kinder society they deserve to live in,” he said.
It can be recalled that like many of his democratic predecessors, Carter valued freedom and placed a high premium on promoting more civil liberties worldwide.
His foreign policy stood as a testament to his diplomatic finesse in balancing human rights advocacy with strategic partnerships.
During his presidency from 1977 to 1981, the Philippines and the US developed a significant partnership.
His administration navigated the Cold War alliance while pushing for democratic reforms in the Philippines amid President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s martial law.
One of the enduring legacies of Carter in the Philippines was the 1979 amendment to the Military Bases Agreement.
The Philippines gained greater control over its sovereign territory with the US pledging $500 million in military and economic aid over five years as compensation.
“In particular, we remain firmly committed to the independence, security and territorial integrity of the Philippines,” Carter in his letter to President Marcos Sr. in 1977.
Carter’s presidency introduced an important foundation to US-PH relations—one that valued democratic principles through the rule of law and human rights. Carter did not hold back and openly expressed concerns over the loss of civil liberties under Marcos’s martial law. With AFP
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “PBBM salutes Jimmy Carter as ‘humanitarian, servant leader’.”
