Former executive secretary Eduardo Ermita, 90

MANILA, Philippines — Former executive secretary Eduardo Ermita passed away yesterday at the age of 90.

The announcement was shared by his daughter, Balayan Mayor Lisa Ermita, on social media.

“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we, the Ermita family, announce the passing of our beloved father, General Eduardo Ramos Ermita (retired), a dedicated public servant and our guiding light,” she wrote in her Facebook post.

According to the mayor, her father died peacefully at 8 a.m., surrounded by his family.

“Our father lived a full life in steadfast service to the Filipino people. As a soldier, he served with honor and dedication during some of the nation’s most challenging times,” she said.

“To us, his family, he was simply ‘Papa’ or ‘Lolo Ed’ – our source of wisdom, strength, and unconditional love. The lessons he imparted and the values he lived by are the greatest legacy he leaves behind,” she added.

Lisa described her father as “a true patriarch, not only of our family but also of the entire First District of Batangas.”

Ermita served as executive secretary from 2004 to 2010 under the administration of former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

He was appointed presidential adviser on the peace process in 2001 and briefly served as acting defense secretary during the Arroyo administration.

A Philippine Military Academy Class of 1957 graduate, Ermita served as deputy chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from 1986 to 1988. He was also the representative of Batangas’ 1st District from 1992 to 2001.

In a statement, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) expressed deep sorrow over Ermita’s passing, calling him “a pillar of the Philippine peace process.”

“Throughout his long and distinguished career in public service, General Ermita exemplified the finest qualities of a soldier, a true officer and gentleman, a statesman and a peacemaker,” Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said.

Ermita led the peace negotiations with the Moro National Liberation Front from 1992 to 1996.

In 2023, the OPAPRU honored Ermita with the highest distinction award, the Gawad Kapayapaan.