Fidel Ramos, a former president of the Philippines who presided over a rare era of steady growth and peace and was widely regarded as one of the nation’s most successful presidents ever, passed away on Sunday at the age of 94, his family announced.
He earned the nickname “Steady Eddie” for his unflappable demeanour during the Philippines‘ periodic periods of instability. From 1992 to 1998, he presided over the country with a sure hand while regularly seen eating unlit cigars.
His professorial demeanour contrasted with the bombastic image of many Filipino politicians. He was a career military man who had never previously occupied elective office. Despite opposition from some within the Church, he was also the first Protestant to achieve the top position in the country, which was predominately Catholic.
Later, in an effort to slow the population’s rapid increase, he aggressively pushed for family planning. However, Ramos participated in the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, which resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands more who were unlawfully imprisoned, along with other prominent figures of his time.
The Ramos family issued a brief statement in which it expressed its “deep sadness” over the patriarch’s passing. The cause wasn’t made public.