Fabian Ver - Military and Political Career

Military and Political Career

Ver was born in Sarrat, Ilocos Norte on 1920.

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

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

According to the autobiography book of now Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile entitled, "Juan Ponce Enrile: A Memoir", Ver was 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 underling to Marcos and upon the latter's election as President of the Philippines on 1965, he became part of the latter's inner circle. And, Ver worked his way up through the military ranks.

He was most trusted military officer of then President Ferdinand Marcos as Martial Law was declared on September 21, 1972. and he was also known as Marcos' chief enforcer,and was the highest among the Rolex 12. He became further fiercely loyal to Marcos, and Marcos repaid his loyalty by appointing him as the head of the Presidential Security Group, then known as the Presidential Security Command. When he was due for retirement in 1976, Marcos extended his term indefinitely. He also headed the then National Intelligence and Security Agency (now, the National Intelligence and Coordinating Agency), the spy department of the Philippines, sending government agents to search for anti-Marcos critics. Ver would be a feared figure during the martial law years, as he was known to take no prisoners and would resort to torture when needed. Martial law was lifted in 1981, and Ver was appointed as chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines over a cousin, then Major-General Fidel Valdez Ramos, then the chief of the Philippine Constabulary. Thus, Ver became the most powerful officer in the military, as he headed now three institutions: the AFP, the PSC and NISA.

Police officials, military men, businessmen, politicians, bureaucrats and other prominent figures like judges kowtowed to him. Many feared to displease him as he has direct access to Marcos and has his ear as well as of then First Lady Imelda Marcos.

In fact, his three sons, who are all military officers like him were in the zenith of power. 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 youngest son, Wirlo, was the commander of the Armored Unit of Malacanang Palace.

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 the Philippine Military Academy resentful. He also extended schooling privileges to his relatives, friends in the military especially the graduates of professional military schools that are close to him, to Marcos and to Imelda, including those who paid homage to him and filled the high posts in the military with Ilocano ROTC-trained military officers. This was the era of favoritism in the AFP.

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

As Marcos disregarded the authority of then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile in the 1980s, he changed the military chain 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.

Thus, Ver increasingly became the second most powerful government official in the country, replacing Enrile who held the status since the imposition of Martial Law on 1972 when Marcos named him as martial law administrator. Ver and Enrile would be often at odds with each other.