By MANILA, Philippines — Before rising to the top as executive secretary in the Arroyo administration in 2004, Eduardo Ermita built a reputation as a military official who negotiated with secessionist rebels in southern Philippines, a role that culminated in a peace agreement in 1996.
In his passing on Saturday morning, Ermita was hailed by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Opapp) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), as a statesman and a peacemaker.
