More unsolicited advice from FVR

Barring hitches or last-minute changes, former President Fidel Valdez Ramos, or FVR for short, will meet with President Rodrigo Duterte this weekend at Malacanang Palace. The meeting comes almost a week after President Duterte announced his request to FVR to act as his “special envoy” on a mission to China.

President Duterte made the informal announcement of his designation of Ramos during an extemporaneous speech at a testimonial dinner before his College of Law classmates from San Beda College held last July 14 at Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan City. Ramos was seated among the audience.

This, after the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague ruled last July 12 against China’s occupation of the disputed rocks, atolls, shoals and islets around its so-called “nine-dash line” around South China Sea. 

FVR swore he failed to hear the announcement except hearing his name. “Senior citizen Eddie,” now octogenarian, admitted difficulty of hearing. So he confessed he had to ask his seatmates why Duterte called out his name.

This was not the first time though that President Duterte acknowledged Ramos in his public speeches. During his inaugural address last June 30 at Malacañang, the newly installed Chief Executive thanked Ramos – seated at the front row of the audience – for his role in “making me President.”

The next day, in his first speech as Commander-in-chief before the Philippine National Police in Camp Crame, Quezon City, President Duterte acknowledged anew the presence of Ramos. “I’d like you to know that the very first person to go to Davao to make a trip...And despite my own misgivings about money, machinery and everything, I prevailed because of his inspiration,” President Duterte disclosed.

Later on that same day, President Duterte repeated the same expression of gratitude to Ramos in the change of command at the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. Looking at the direction of Ramos, Mr. Duterte cited the former president as: “…the first Filipino who journeyed to Davao City to ask me to run for public office and president. And he said to me ‘You run because it is high time that Mindanao should have its president.”

Six days later, I bumped into FVR during the US Independence Day reception at Raffles Hotel in Makati City. During the speech of US ambassador Philip Goldberg who greeted Filipinos for having Duterte as new President, FVR assumed the role of cheerleading squad as he urged the audience to applause for his protégé.

So I buttonholed him later at the reception and teased him about the special mentions of him by President Duterte, not just once but thrice in a row.

FVR wittily riposted: “He (Duterte) is just setting me up!”

True enough. Just as he suspected, President Duterte gave him this “special envoy” assignment apparently without first telling, or consulting him about it. He would have no choice but to accept this challenge.

To date, there is no formal or official letter of designation yet of Ramos coming from the Office of the President. But even before he could accept this “special envoy” post, FVR lamented the “advance” publicity in media of this very sensitive assignment is making his forthcoming task very difficult as it is right now.

While reiterating he was honored by Duterte’s request for him to act as a high-level emissary, FVR believes a more quiet approach is better to reduce tensions and smoothen Manila-Beijing ties. Like many military men, Ramos explained they prefer peaceful settlement of any conflict because their families are the ones directly affected if they go to war to lay down their lives for the country. About 44 years of his life, FVR noted, had been spent as a constabulary and military man.

FVR aired his lament when he attended our weekly breakfast forum at Kapihan sa Manila Bay last Wednesday at Café Adriatico in Remedios Circle, Malate. And since he has yet to sit down with President Duterte on what would be his specific mission, we would defer to his request not to dwell yet too much on what he would do.

Moreover, the 88-year-old Ramos himself admitted his state of health is another concern by his family, especially his wife, former First Lady Amelita Ramos. He now carries in his chest a pacemaker since October last year. 

As the recognized “senior elder statesman,” FVR underscored the need to convene first the National Security Council (NSC) as the highest policy-making body chaired by the President. It is composed of the Cabinet, top military and police chiefs, key leaders of Congress and former presidents sit as ex officio members of the NSC. FVR urged President Duterte to convene soon the NSC to help chart our country’s united stand on the PCA ruling that upheld our territorial claims in West Philippine Sea.

On a happier note, FVR was elated about the Supreme Court (SC) ruling that finally freed ex-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from her hospital detention at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City. FVR looks forward to meet with Mrs. Arroyo soon. The last time they talked to each other was at a chance encounter at the VMMC golf grounds in November 2014, while Mrs. Arroyo was doing her daily walking exercise. 

Now back to her La Vista residence in Quezon City since last night, Mrs. Arroyo is reportedly raring to report back for work on her third and last term as Congresswoman from Pampanga. She is set to attend the first state of the nation address (SONA) of President Duterte on Monday at the joint opening sessions of the 17th Congress at Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City.

During the campaign in the May 9 presidential race, Mr. Duterte came under fire from Arroyo critics for saying the plunder case against the detained president was weak.

Now that Mrs. Arroyo has been acquitted and released from her hospital detention, FVR said there would be now four ex-Presidents to help President Duterte at the NSC. Aside from him and Mrs. Arroyo, former President and now Mayor of Manila Joseph Estrada will attend the SONA. But, ex-President Benigno “Noy” Aquino III announced last Wednesday he will skip the SONA and just watch it over television at his home at Times Street in Quezon City.

FVR said he has been religiously attending the SONA after his presidency. As “senior citizen Eddie,” he promised to deliver his “sermons” to whoever cares to listen. And to President Duterte, FVR warns, he would continue giving unsolicited advice which he has been doing to past Presidents after him.