“No matter what one thinks of FVR, he devoted his entire life to public service”
OF THE 17 presidents of the country, four have birthdays falling in March. One of them is of course former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte who just celebrated his 80th birthday last March 28 at The Hague in the Netherlands because of his current travails.
Nonetheless, his birthday was well covered in the news showing his Filipino well-wishers who are residing in Europe outside the facility where he is being held.
But this piece is not about the birthday of FPRRD and his current struggles but another president whose birthday also falls in March but who passed away three years ago whose birthday was March 18.
I am referring to former President Fidel V. Ramos, or FVR to many, who served as our 12th President and passed away in 2022 at the ripe old age of 94. The two other presidents born in March are Emilio F Aguinaldo, our revolutionary president born on March 22, 1869 and Jose P . Laurel, our wartime president, born on March 9, 1891.
FVR’s birthday was commemorated not by a prayer rally but by the usual fellowship Golf tournament, his favorite sport now in its third year and at his favorite Golf Course in Camp Aguinaldo.
It was organized by his admirers who served under and with him in both military and civilian government service.
How much longer this tournament will last will depend largely on how long many of those who served under him stretching way back when he graduated from West Point in 1950 will be around to continue staging it. This is because those who have been close to him are finally slowing down and as we all know, no one can stop the march of time.
One of the really old fogies who started with FVR in the 1950s who was in the tournament is Retired Major General Jose Magno or Joemag who just celebrated his 94th birthday last Jan. 26.
Present from the PMA class of 1957 is Commodore Vic Buenaventura of the Philippine Navy who served as FVR’s comptroller when he was Secretary of National Defense.
Former DND Secretary and AFP Chief of Staff Renato de Villa and former Executive Secretary Ed Ermita also of PMA class 1957 were indisposed and were not there.
From the 1960’s Retired Lt General Leo Alvez of class 1966 flew in from Cebu just to be in the tournament. Bob Lastimoso of class 1967 and former PNP Chief were also there. As can be seen, the long gray line is indeed greying fast.
From the civilian sector, former secretaries Salvador Bello of the DOJ, Bobby de Ocampo of the DOF and Rafael Alunan of the DILG were there swinging their golf clubs.
And Raffy Alunan who never played a round of golf in his life took to the fairways for the first and, not surprisingly, he was adjudged as the most exercised golfer of the day.
But that was the whole spirit of the celebration. To enjoy and reminisce many FVR stories which have been repeated dozens of times.
Due to FVR’s long service to his country, his influence on so many in the military and civilian bureaucracy is still being felt.
He was the first Commander of the Philippine Army Special Forces where every junior officer wanted to belong. This is one big reason why, during his presidency, not a single rumor of any destabilization attempt was ever heard.
Everyone in the military toed the line.
In the civilian bureaucracy, he inculcated the old military concept of staff study and mission orientation which everyone embraced.
His Philippines 2000 was basically taken from both.
He also was the first post martial law president to pursue serious peace negotiations with the CPP/NPA which seemed at odds with his military background.
No matter what one thinks of FVR, he devoted his entire life to public service.
It is for this reason that hopefully, the newly elected officers of FVR Golf mates led by its president Rey Velasco of PMA class 1971 should consider building on the public service legacy of FVR to give more meaning to what FVR stood for.