Victor Navarro Corpus (October 4, 1944 – April 4, 2024) was a Filipino military officer and public official best known for his 1970 defection from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to the New People's Army of the Communist Party of the Philippines during the authoritarian regime of Ferdinand Marcos,[1][2] for his defection from the NPA in 1976, his return to the AFP after the 1986 People Power Revolution,[3] and his later role as chief of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP).
Victor Corpus | |
|---|---|
 Corpus in 2008 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Victor Navarro Corpus October 4, 1944 San Pablo, Laguna, Philippine Commonwealth |
| Died | April 4, 2024 (aged 79) |
| Alma mater | Philippine Military Academy |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Philippines New People's Army |
| Branch/service | Philippine Army (GRP) |
| Years of service | 1967–1970; 1987–2004 (PA) 1970–1976 (NPA) |
| Rank |  Brigadier General (PA) |
| Commands | Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines |
A member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1967, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General of the AFP in May 2003,[4] and retired with that rank when he reached retirement age in October 2004.[5][6]
Early life and education
editCorpus was born on October 4, 1944, in San Pablo, Laguna. His father was Col. Vicente Corpus of the AFP Medical Corps. He took his elementary and high school studies at De La Salle University, and then on his father's insistence, entered the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in 1963.[7] Corpus eventually graduated from PMA as part of the "Dimasupil" class of 1967.[7]
Career
editCorpus entered the Philippine Army, where he received Airborne and Special Forces training. He later transferred to the Philippine Constabulary. Disgruntled by corruption in the armed forces, he opted for an assignment as instructor at the PMA.[7]
1970 PMA armory raid
editOn December 29, 1970,[8] Corpus formally defected to the New People's Army (NPA) and led a raid on the PMA armory. Timing the raid when most cadets were out on Christmas vacation and the PMA's senior officers including its Superintendent, General Ugalde had left the camp to meet President Ferdinand Marcos upon his scheduled arrival in nearby Baguio.[9]
Corpus, who was PMA's designated officer of the day (OOD), guided the NPA raiding team which managed to escape with Browning automatic rifles, carbines, machine guns, and various other weapons and ammunition.[10]
MV Karagatan incident
editCorpus oversaw the failed operations of the New People's Army to receive armaments from China in 1972. The Philippine military intercepted the weapons loaded into the ship MV Karagatan along the coast of Palanan, Isabela.[11]
1976 surrender
editDisgruntled with the Communist Party of the Philippines, Corpus decided to surrender to government in July 14, 1976,[8][9] due to disillusionment over the organization citing the 1971 Plaza Miranda bombing which the NPA is alleged to have a role in committing.[11] He would spent the rest of the Marcos dictatorship in prison. After Marcos was deposed in the peaceful 1986 EDSA Revolution, Corpus was granted clemency by President Corazon Aquino.
Return to the AFP and retirement
editDuring the God Save the Queen Plot against President Corazon Aquino in November 1986, the Reform the Armed Forces Movement's chief propagandist, Captain Rex Robles, leaked to the media a letter from Corpus, in which he claimed to have witnessed the CPP leadership planning the Plaza Miranda bombing in 1971, which prompted him to surrender to the government. He later reported the plot to Philippine Constabulary chief Renato de Villa, which led to its unraveling.[12]
In 1987, Corpus was reinstated into the Armed Forces of the Philippines, with a rank of Lieutenant Colonel.[9] On June 7, 1989, he launched his book titled Silent War at the Manila Polo Club, with then-National Defense Secretary Fidel V. Ramos in attendance.[13] He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General of the AFP in May 2003,[4] and retired with that rank in October 2004.[5][6] He retired four years beyond than the mandatory retirement age of 56 due to a special arrangement with the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.[8]
Death
editCorpus died on 4 April 2024, at the age of 79.[14]
Legacy
editGringo Honasan, a former Philippine Army officer who had led various coup attempts against the Corazon Aquino administration in the 1980s, was a student of Corpus in political science at the PMA, and once stated that "[Corpus] was, in fact, our class advisor. Most of the radical thinking of our class was his influence."[15]
A biographical film about Corpus titled Operation: Get Victor Corpus, the Rebel Soldier was released in January 1987, where he is portrayed by Rudy Fernandez; it was later offered for international distributors at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival film market in May.[16]
References
edit- ^ "Ex-soldier to military, police: Serve the people, not the elite Inquirer News". Retrieved December 11, 2018.
- ^ "Ex-communist leader gets sentimental as divers find sunken ship". Gulf News Asia. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
- ^ Mydans, Seth; Special to the New York Times (January 16, 1987). "Manila Journal; the Rebel Soldier Who's Never Without a Cause". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
- ^ a b "Victor Corpus now a general". Retrieved December 11, 2018.
- ^ a b "Corpus out as ISAFP chief". Retrieved December 11, 2018.
- ^ a b "Victor Corpus retires at 60". Balitang Marino. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
- ^ a b c David, Randy (August 12, 2001). "Public Lives: The silent wars of Victor Corpus". The Philippine Daily Inquirer.
- ^ a b c Kabagani, Lade Jean (4 April 2024). "Former AFP intel service chief passes away at 79". Daily Tribune. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
- ^ a b c Mydans, Seth (January 16, 1987), "Manila Journal; the Rebel Soldier Who's Never Without a Cause", The New York Times, archived from the original on August 7, 2009
- ^ "Lacson vows: 'There's no turning back – I am running for President!'". The Philippine STAR.
- ^ a b Corrales, Nestor (5 April 2024). "From rebel officer to intel chief: Victor Corpus, 79". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
- ^ McCoy, Alfred. Closer than Brothers: Manhood at the Philippine Military Academy. Anvil Publishing.
- ^ Daza, Julie Y. (June 10, 1989). "Rally 'round the flag". Manila Standard. Kagitingan Publications, Inc. p. 13. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
- ^ "Former ISAFP chief Victor Corpus dies". Rappler. 4 April 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ McCoy, Alfred W. (1999). Closer Than Brothers: Manhood at the Philippine Military Academy. Yale University Press. p. 197. ISBN 0-300-07765-3. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
- ^ "Rudy F., Corpus in Cannes filmfest". Manila Standard. Standard Publications, Inc. May 15, 1987. p. 14. Retrieved January 23, 2024.