The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Saturday, October 18, paid tribute to retired Lieutenant General Eduardo Ermita, who passed away at the age of 90.
In a statement, the AFP honored Ermita as a “distinguished soldier, statesman, and leader” who “dedicated his life to the service of the nation.”
Ermita died peacefully, surrounded by family, according to his daughter, Balayan, Batangas Mayor Lisa Ermita Abad.
“The Armed Forces of the Philippines mourns the passing of General Eduardo R. Ermita (Retired), a distinguished soldier, statesman, and leader who dedicated his life to the service of the nation,” the AFP said.
The AFP said Ermita’s long and illustrious career in the military was marked by “unwavering professionalism and excellence in command.”
A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1957, Ermita steadily rose through the ranks, taking on several important leadership positions within the AFP.
Ermita was a colonel when martial law was declared in 1972, and he was known at the time as a psychological warfare expert.
While many military generals were appointed to influential civilian positions during the Marcos years, Ermita’s career largely remained within the military establishment.
From 1976 to 1985, he served as Senior Military Assistant in the Office of the Undersecretary of National Defense.
In February 1984, Ermita demonstrated remarkable bravery when he journeyed deep into the jungles of Basilan to reach one of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) camps. His mission was to initiate peace talks with Gerry Salappudin, then one of the MNLF’s most formidable commanders and chair of its Basilan Revolutionary Committee.
During the meeting, Ermita conveyed the national government’s peace and development programs aimed at addressing the root causes of the long-running conflict in Mindanao and advancing negotiations between the Philippine government and the MNLF.
His daring visit proved pivotal, paving the way for the government to engage directly with senior MNLF leaders, including MNLF Reformist Group Chair Dimas Puntado, Deputy Chief Abu Khayr Alonto, Commander Talib Congo, and Commander Ronnie Malaguiok.
He later became the Commanding General of the Civil Relations Service of the AFP from 1985 to 1986.
After the restoration of democracy in 1986, the practice of appointing former military officers to key civilian roles continued under both administrations of Corazon Aquino and Fidel V. Ramos.
During the Aquino presidency, Ermita held the post of AFP deputy chief of staff and later Department of National Defense (DND) undersecretary, playing a significant role in addressing the series of coup attempts from 1986 to 1992.
A native of Balayan, Batangas, Ermita also represented the province’s First District in Congress from 1992 to 2001.
He also served as the DND secretary from 2003 to 2004, and Executive Secretary from 2004 to 2010 under the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. (Martin Sadongdong)
