Victor Corpus

Brigadier General Victor Navarro Corpus (born October 4, 1944) is a retired 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).

In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Navarro and the surname or paternal family name is Corpus.

A member of the Philippine Military Academy 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

Corpus was born on 4 October 1944 in San Pablo City, 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 in 1963.[7] Corpus eventually graduated from PMA as part of the "Dimasupil" class of 1967.[7]

Career

He 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

On 29 December 1970, Corpus formally defected to the New People's Army 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 City.[8]

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.[9]

1976 surrender

Disgruntled with the Communist Party of the Philippines, Corpus decided to surrender to government in 1976,[8] and 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

In 1987, Corpus was reinstated into the Armed Forces of the Philippines, with a rank of Lieutenant Colonel.[8] 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]

References
  1. "Ex-soldier to military, police: Serve the people, not the elite Inquirer News". Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  2. "Ex-communist leader gets sentimental as divers find sunken ship". Gulf News Asia. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  3. Mydans, Seth; Times, Special To the New York (1987-01-16). "Manila Journal; the Rebel Soldier Who's Never Without a Cause". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  4. "Victor Corpus now a general". Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  5. "Corpus out as ISAFP chief". Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  6. "Victor Corpus retires at 60". Balitang Marino. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
  7. David, Randy (August 12, 2001). "Public Lives: The silent wars of Victor Corpus". The Philippine Daily Inquirer.
  8. Mydans, Seth (16 January 1987), "Manila Journal; the Rebel Soldier Who's Never Without a Cause", The New York Times, archived from the original on 2009-08-07
  9. "Lacson vows: 'There's no turning back – I am running for President!'".
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