Fabian Ver

In thisPhilippine name,themiddle nameor maternalfamily nameisCrisologoand the surname or paternal family name isVer.

Fabian Crisologo Ver
Fabian Ver on April 2, 1982
18thChief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
In office December 2, 1985 – February 25, 1986
President	Ferdinand Marcos
Preceded by	Romeo Espino
Succeeded by	Fidel Ramos
Director-General ofNational Intelligence Security Authority
In office 1976 – October 24, 1984
President	Ferdinand Marcos
Preceded by	Santiago Barangan
Succeeded by	Vicente S. Yumul
CommanderPresidential Security Command
In office 1972–1986
President	Ferdinand Marcos
Preceded by	Rafael Zagala
Succeeded by	Voltaire Gazmin
Personal details
Born	Fabian Maria Trinidad Juan Cirilo Crisologo Ver (1920-01-20)January 20, 1920 Sarrat,Ilocos Norte,Philippines
Died	November 21, 1998(1998-11-21)(aged 78) Bangkok,Thailand
Resting place	Sarrat,Ilocos Norte,Philippines
Military service
Allegiance	Philippines
Branch/service	Philippine Constabulary
Years of service	1940–1986
Rank	General
Commands	Armed Forces of the Philippines
Battles/wars	World War II Hukbalahap Rebellion

Fabian Crisologo Ver(bornFabian Maria Trinidad Juan Cirilo Crisologo Ver;January 20, 1920 – November 21, 1998) was a Filipino military officer who served as the Commanding Officer of theArmed Forces of the Philippinesunder PresidentFerdinand Marcos.

Early life and education

Fabian Ver was born on January 20, 1920, to Juan Ver and Elena Crisologo. He grew up in the town ofSarratinIlocos Norte.

Ver attended theUniversity of the Philippinesand was an alumnus of its reserve program.He also joined the UP Vanguard in 1941.However, the outbreak of World War II disrupted his studies.After the war, he resumed his studies at theUniversity of Manilawhere he obtained a Bachelor of Law degree and later theUniversity of Louisvillewhere he graduated with a degree in police administration in 1963. He also undertook training in Hawaii and with theLos Angeles Police Department.

Military and political career

A portrait of General Fabian Ver at the AFP Museum inCamp Aguinaldo

DuringWorld War II,he acted as a guerrilla intelligence officer with the rank of third lieutenantand after the war, he went on in the military service. During Ferdinand Marcos' term as Senate President in the early 1960s, he was one of his military advisers. He was at that time serving in the Criminal Investigation Service of the Philippine Constabulary with the rank of captain.

The Philippine Constabulary, now thePhilippine National Police,was at that time, a major service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that deallt with law enforcement and peace and order in the country.

Ver was described by former Defense MinisterJuan Ponce Enrilein his autobiography as a man of Marcos through and through. He could not and would not say no to Marcos and would blindly carry out the wishes and orders of Marcos without question. Thus, he became the most loyal officer to Marcos and upon the latter's election asPresident of the Philippinesin 1965, he became part of the latter's inner circle. Ver then worked his way up through the military ranks.

Ver was the most trusted military officer of then PresidentFerdinand Marcosas Martial Law was declared on September 21, 1972, was also known as one of Marcos' chief enforcers, and was said to be the highest among theRolex 12group of people privy to the inner workings of Martial Law.

He became further fiercely loyal to Marcos, who rewarded him by appointing him as the commanding general of thePresidential Security Group,then known as the Presidential Security Command or PSC that was tasked to secure Marcos and his family. When he was due for retirement in 1976, Marcos extended his term indefinitely. He also headed the then National Intelligence and Security Authority or NISA (now theNational Intelligence Coordinating Agency), the vast and well-armed and well-equipped intelligence department of the Philippines, sending government agents to search for anti-Marcos critics. It placed spies in all government and private entities. In effect, NISA acted as secret police force of the Marcos regime. And since NISA was under the direct control of the Office of the President, Ver directly reported to Marcos. And under the 1978 National Security Code, NISA also was given functional supervision and control over the Intelligence Service of the AFP or ISAFP, thus its chief also reported to Ver directly, thus widening his powers in the military gaining full suzerainty of the ISAFP to further NISA's functions. In a 1997 documentary, GeneralRomeo Espino,former chief of staff of the AFP said Ver was a powerful man and who checked his recommendations for promotions and appointments before it reached Marcos. And, if Ver decided to release any political prisoner detained by NISA, it equalled that of Marcos as his signature was also considered as the latter's.

Martial law was lifted in 1981, and Ver was appointed Chief of Staff of theArmed Forces of the Philippinesover a cousin, then Major-GeneralFidel Valdez Ramos,the chief of thePhilippine Constabulary.Thus, Ver became the most powerful officer in the military, as he headed now three institutions: the entire AFP, the PSC and NISA. Police officials, military men, businessmen, politicians, bureaucrats and other prominent figures kowtowed to him.

Ver was well-feared due to his direct access to Marcos as well as then First LadyImelda Marcos.In fact, his three sons, who followed his footsteps also saw stellar careers. His eldest son, Irwin was rapidly promoted to colonel and named chief of staff of the Presidential Security Command. His other son, Rexor was the chief of the close- in security of Marcos and his youngest son, Wyrlo, was the commander of the Armored Unit of Malacanang Palace. Irwin Ver graduated no. 1 in the Philippine Military Academy in 1970. During Ver's term as AFP chief of staff, he was biased in favor of the military officers that came from ROTC program by giving them incentives and named them to key important posts in the military, thus, this made the military officers who graduated from thePhilippine Military Academyresentful, with some officers forming a faction calledReform the Armed Forces Movementled by Col.Gregorio Honasan,Victor Batac,& Eduardo "Red" Kapunan who all graduated in the academy in 1971. He also extended schooling privileges to his relatives, friends in the military especially the graduates of professional military schools that were close to him, to the Marcoses, including those who paid homage to him and filled the high posts in the military with Ilocano ROTC-trained military officers. This led to the era of favoritism and Ilocanization in the AFP. GeneralRomeo Espino,Ver's predecessor, was AFP Chief of Staff for the longest term in the Philippines military, was like Ver, Espino was also an ROTC graduate in theUniversity of the Philippines,but was regarded as fair in administration of military affairs during his time, unlike Ver.

Ver also instituted, along with Marcos, the extension of services in the military of those military officers loyal to them, who overreached their retirement age.

As Marcos disregarded the authority of then Defense MinisterJuan Ponce Enrilein the 1980s, he changed the militarychain of command.Under the new chain of command, the authority would evolve from Marcos as president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces up to Ver, the chief of staff of the armed forces.

As such, Ver replaced Enrile as the second most-powerful high government official in the country, the status which the latter held during martial law when he was tasked to administer it.

Aquino assassination and acquittal by Marcos

Ver kept aging officers loyal to himself and also to Marcos on the armed forces, thus making young officers disgruntled. TheReform the Armed Forces Movement(RAM) was formed by these young officers, led by then ColonelGregorio Honasanand then Captain Proceso Maligalig as a result of this. The RAMboys, as they were known in the Philippines, played a key role in Marcos' overthrow. As the Marcos regime grew unpopular during these years, Marcos would be in and out of office due to kidney ailments. Political mismanagement ensued, culminating with the 1983 assassination of popular opposition leader and senatorBenigno Aquino Jr.upon his return from exile in the United States. TheAgrava Commission,an independent fact-finding body put up by Marcos, found evidence to verify that the military and Ver were involved, but he was subsequently acquitted in 1985 by theSandiganbayan.After the tumultuoussnap electionon February 7, 1986, Marcos announced that he was replacing Ver withFidel Ramosdue to his alleged ties with Ninoy Aquino'sassassination,although he tacitly kept Ver in power.

Awards in military service

• Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation
• Martial Law Unit Citation
• Presidential Medal of Merit
• Distinguished Conduct StarMedals
• Distinguished Service StarMedals
• Gold CrossMedals
• Military Merit Medals
• Military Commendation Medals
• Philippine Defense Medal
• Philippine Liberation Medal
• Anti-dissidence Campaign Medal
• Luzon Anti-Dissidence Campaign Medal
• Mindanao Anti-Dissidence Campaign Medal
• Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Operations Ribbon
• Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal
• World War II Victory Medal
• PAFGold Wings Badge

Later life and death

After the tumultuous snap elections of 1986, the FirstEDSA Revolutionbroke out. During a television conference, Ver insistently advised Marcos to give him orders to fire on the swelling number of protesters, but Marcos refused to and gave the order to disperse the crowd without shooting.However, Ver later confirmed that Marcos approved the kill order after the general met with Marine commandant General Artemio Tadiar.

Following the Revolution, Ver and his family along with the Marcoses were exiled toHawaii.Facingfederal racketeering charges,Ver left the United States using aParaguayanpassport, and transited toAustria,then finally toMannheim,Germanywhere he joined his younger children.He was not allowed to return to the country during the administration of PresidentsCorazon AquinoandFidel V. Ramos.He returned during the presidency ofJoseph Estradabut faced lawsuits that linked him to theassassination of Ninoy Aquinoand fall guy Rolando Galman.

On November 21, 1998, Ver died of pulmonary complications in a hospital inBangkok,Thailand,two months before his 79th Birthday.

In popular culture

Ver was played by Mervyn Samson in the 1988 television filmA Dangerous Lifeand byRobin Padillain the 2022 movieMaid in Malacañang.

See also

• Rolex 12
• Presidential Security Group/ Presidential Security Command
• National Intelligence Coordinating Agency(NICA)
• Sterling Seagrave
• University of the Philippines ROTC Unit

External links

• The Filipino Express, 10-27-1994 - Graft cases brought against Ver and Ongpin
• The Filipino Express, 08-27-1998 - Let Ver come home - Erap
• The Filipino Express, 12-13-1998 - Family feud: Quarrel avoided over Ver remains