Fidel V. Ramos

Fidel Valdez Ramos (born March 18, 1928) was the 12th President of the Philippines. He succeeded Corazon Aquino and governed until 1998, when he was succeeded by Joseph Estrada.

Early life and career

Born in 1928 in Lingayen, Pangasinan, the son of a United Nations ambassador and a cousin to Ferdinand Marcos, Ramos pursued a career in the military and in engineering. His long association with the United States started when he graduated from West Point Military Academy in 1950, culminating with a graduate degree in civil engineering at the University of Illinois the following year. He received his Master of Business Administration degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1980. He fought alongside U.S. forces in the Korean War and later commanded a Filipino contingency in the Vietnam War.

Related Topics:
1928 - Lingayen - Pangasinan - United Nations - United States - West Point - 1950 - University of Illinois - Master of Business Administration - Ateneo de Manila University - 1980 - Korean War - Vietnam War

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Ramos served the Marcos regime for more than 20 years -- in the military, as head of the Philippine Constabulary, the country's national police force, and as a trusted advisor. He was a member of the infamous Rolex 12, a loyal group of the most powerful men in the country, other than Marcos himself. Seeing that the Marcos regime was about to collapse, Ramos sided with Aquino when the People Power Revolution erupted in 1986. The military followed his lead and swung the pendulum in her favor.

Related Topics:
Philippine Constabulary - Rolex 12 - People Power Revolution - 1986

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After Aquino assumed the presidency, she appointed Ramos Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, and later Secretary of Defense, foiling seven coup attempts against the Aquino administration.

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In December 1991, Ramos declared his candidacy for president. He won the seven-way race on May 11, 1992, narrowly defeating Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. Despite winning, he garnered only 23.5% of the vote, the lowest plurality in the country's history. The election results were marred by allegations of fraud, though cheating on a large scale has not been proven.

Related Topics:
1991 - May 11 - 1992 - Miriam Defensor-Santiago

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