Victor Corpus
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

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 The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) () are the military forces of the Philippines. It consists of three main service branches; the Philippine Army, Army, the Philippine Air Force, Air Force, and the Philippine Navy, Navy (including the P ...
(AFP) to the
New People's Army The New People's Army (; abbreviated NPA or BHB) is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). It acts as the CPP's principal organization, aiming to consolidate political power from what it sees as the present "bourgeo ...
of the
Communist Party of the Philippines The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP; ) is a far-left, Marxist–Leninist–Maoist revolutionary organization and communist party in the Philippines, formed by Jose Maria Sison on 26 December 1968. The CPP has been fighting a gue ...
during the
authoritarian regime Authoritarianism is a political system characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of strong central power to preserve the political ''status quo'', and reductions in democracy, separation of powers, civil liberties, and ...
of
Ferdinand Marcos Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and Kleptocracy, kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the c ...
, for his defection from the NPA in 1976, his return to the AFP after the 1986
People Power Revolution The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, were a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...
, and his later role as chief of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP). 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, and retired with that rank when he reached retirement age in October 2004.


Early life and education

Corpus 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. Corpus eventually graduated from PMA as part of the "Dimasupil" class of 1967.


Career

Corpus entered the
Philippine Army The Philippine Army (PA) () is the main, oldest and largest branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), responsible for ground warfare. , it had an estimated strength of 143,100 soldiers The service branch was established on December ...
, 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.


1970 PMA armory raid

On December 29, 1970, Corpus formally defected to the
New People's Army The New People's Army (; abbreviated NPA or BHB) is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). It acts as the CPP's principal organization, aiming to consolidate political power from what it sees as the present "bourgeo ...
(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 Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino lawyer, politician, dictator, and Kleptocracy, kleptocrat who served as the tenth president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled the c ...
upon his scheduled arrival in nearby
Baguio Baguio ( , , ), officially the City of Baguio (; ; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. It is known as the "Summer Capital of the Philippines", ...
. 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.


MV ''Karagatan'' incident

Corpus 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.


1976 surrender

Disgruntled with the
Communist Party of the Philippines The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP; ) is a far-left, Marxist–Leninist–Maoist revolutionary organization and communist party in the Philippines, formed by Jose Maria Sison on 26 December 1968. The CPP has been fighting a gue ...
, Corpus decided to surrender to government in July 14, 1976, due to disillusionment over the organization citing the 1971 Plaza Miranda bombing which the NPA is alleged to have a role in committing. 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 María Corazón "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipino politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines and the first woman president in the country, from Presidency of Corazon ...
.


Return to the AFP and retirement

During the God Save the Queen Plot against President
Corazon Aquino María Corazón "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipino politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines and the first woman president in the country, from Presidency of Corazon ...
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 The Philippine Constabulary (PC; , ''HPP''; ) was a gendarmerie-type military police force of the Philippines from 1901 to 1991, and the predecessor to the Philippine National Police. It was created by the Insular Government, American occupat ...
chief
Renato de Villa Renato "Rene" Salud de Villa (born July 20, 1935) is a Filipino former police and military officer and government official. He served as Chief of Philippine Constabulary, Director-General of the Integrated National Police, and Chief of Staff o ...
, which led to its unraveling. In 1987, Corpus was reinstated into the Armed Forces of the Philippines, with a rank of Lieutenant Colonel. On June 7, 1989, he launched his book titled ''Silent War'' at the
Manila Polo Club The Manila Polo Club is the premiere polo club in the Philippines. It was established in 1909 during the American colonial era in the Philippines, American colonial era by Governor General William Cameron Forbes as a venue for polo and leisure fo ...
, with then- National Defense Secretary
Fidel V. Ramos Fidel Valdez Ramos (; March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military officer to reached ...
in attendance. He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General of the AFP in May 2003, and retired with that rank in October 2004. 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 Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...
.


Death

Corpus died on 4 April 2024, at the age of 79.


Legacy

Gringo Honasan, a former
Philippine Army The Philippine Army (PA) () is the main, oldest and largest branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), responsible for ground warfare. , it had an estimated strength of 143,100 soldiers The service branch was established on December ...
officer who had led various coup attempts against the
Corazon Aquino María Corazón "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipino politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines and the first woman president in the country, from Presidency of Corazon ...
administration in the 1980s, was a student of Corpus in political science at the PMA, and once stated that " orpuswas, in fact, our class advisor. Most of the radical thinking of our class was his influence." 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.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Corpus, Victor 1944 births 2024 deaths Defectors Former Marxists Filipino political commentators Filipino prisoners and detainees Philippine Military Academy alumni People from San Pablo, Laguna