All the senators approved on Monday, Aug. 1 a resolution expressing their sympathy and condolences on the death of former President Fidel V. Ramos (FVR).

The measure, Senate Resolution (SR) No.72, was principally sponsored by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri. All other senators were made co-authors of the resolution.

Zubiri, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda and Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva led seven other senators in delivering their co-sponsorship speeches in Monday’s plenary session.

The seven senators were Ramon ‘’Bong’’ Revilla Jr., Sherwin Gatchalian, Pia Cayetano, Raffy Tulfo, Robin Padilla, Christopher ‘’Bong’’ Go and Jose ‘’Jinggoy’’ Estrada.

In his speech, Zubiri said Ramos won peace the way he won battles--by seizing the high ground, or the moral one, in the case of settling conflicts. He met rebel groups eye-to-eye, respecting their struggle and their cause, and offered not temporary truce but permanent peace.

‘’His call for peace succeeded because he came to table with the best credentials—that of a warrior tired of war and who longed for peace. His condition was simple. He only wanted their guns silenced—but never for them to be silent about the injustices, the poverty, and the oppression they perceived in society. Instead of guns, President Ramos urged them to pursue their solutions peacefully,’’ he said.

‘’And I clearly recall, Mr. President, it was during his time that the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao was created, before the BARMM. And I believe it was during his time also that the MNLF struck a deal with the government for permanent peace,’’ he stressed.

‘’We in Mindanao will always hold him in high regard for his initiatives towards peace. And as a legislator, I do not think that the Bangsamoro Organic Law would have been possible without the foundation of the peace deals he laid out during his presidency,’’ he emphasized.

‘’I cannot even imagine, Mr. President, if he had not pushed for these peace efforts, and for a setup like the ARMM. If we did not have the ARMM, I think Mindanao would still be in the midst of war at this point,’’ he said.

‘’On a personal note, I also hold a dear place in my heart for our former President, who took me under his wing as a member of Lakas-CMD when I was just a young upstart. I am forever grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from him as I entered public service for the first time,’’ he added. ‘’I learned a lot from him. I admired his work ethic,’’ he stressed.

Legarda, on the other hand, said that, ‘’Although we are made poorer by his passing, he left behind a rich legacy and lessons that will serve us well if we heed them, so we can finish the grand dream that Fidel Valdez Ramos envisioned for the country he loved so much.’’

‘’ Former President Fidel V. Ramos was an exemplary leader and did us proud as the “captain of our ship of state”, during his term. We owe our tiger economy status then to FVR. I learned my “csw” or complete staff work from him. He was a disciplined leader, he was able to unite various factions despite being a minority President upon his election. He was the first to bring forth the idea for me to run for the Senate, when I was 37 years old. I owe him much. The Filipino people mourn his passing,’’ she added.