House Speaker Martin Romualdez and other members of the Congress paid their last respects to the late former president Fidel V. Ramos on Thursday, Aug. 4.
Today is the first day of the viewing of Ramos’ cremated remains at the Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City for incumbent government officials.
Members of his Cabinet are scheduled to visit later in the afternoon.
Romualdez was seen standing before the urn containing the past president’s remains.
“We mourn the loss of a great leader of our nation who will be forever indebted for his public service,” he wrote in the condolence book.
Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto of Batangas 6th District was also seen in the wake paying his last respect to someone he called “Steady Eddie.”
Meanwhile, the Makabayan bloc also extended its condolences to the Ramos family.
“He was a leader who understood that for our country to prosper we need peace based on justice and that it can only be attained by addressing the root causes of armed conflict,” the group said in a statement.
The Makabayan lawmakers are Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel, ACT Rep. France Castro, and Gabriela Women’s Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas.
“Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would do well to follow his example on the question of peace,” they added.
Ramos died on Sunday, July 31, at 94 years old, and will be accorded a state funeral at the Libingan ng mga Bayani on Aug. 9.
He served as the country’s 12th president from 1992 to 1998. His six years in office brought solid socio-economic gains and turned the country into the “Tiger Cub Economy in Asia.”
Ramos was also credited for providing political stability in the post-Martial Law regime.
Though an official during the Martial Law days, his presence at the bloodless people power revolt in the dying days of Martial Law in February 1986 brought an end to the dictatorship.
Prior to his presidency, he served as chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and became the Secretary of National Defense two years later.