20 Facts About Fabian Ver

Fabian Ver was born on January 20,1920, to Juan Ver and Elena Crisologo.

Fabian Ver grew up in the town of Sarrat in Ilocos Norte.

Fabian Ver undertook training in Hawaii and with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Fabian Ver was at that time serving in the Criminal Investigation Service of the Philippine Constabulary with the rank of captain.

Fabian Ver was described by former Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile in his autobiography as a man of Marcos through and through.

Fabian Ver then worked his way up through the military ranks.

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

Fabian Ver became further fiercely loyal to Marcos, who rewarded him by appointing him as the commanding general of the Presidential Security Group, then known as the Presidential Security Command or PSC that was tasked to secure Marcos and his family.

Fabian Ver headed the then National Intelligence and Security Authority or NISA, the vast and well-armed and well-equipped intelligence department of the Philippines, sending government agents to search for anti-Marcos critics.

And, if Fabian Ver decided to release any political prisoner detained by NISA, it equalled that of Marcos as his signature was considered as the latter's.

Martial law was lifted in 1981, and Fabian Ver was appointed Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines over a cousin, then Major-General Fidel Valdez Ramos, the chief of the Philippine Constabulary.

Fabian Ver was well-feared due to his direct access to Marcos as well as then First Lady Imelda Marcos.

Fabian Ver 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.

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

Fabian Ver kept aging officers loyal to himself and to Marcos on the armed forces, thus making young officers disgruntled.

The Agrava Commission, an independent fact-finding body put up by Marcos, found evidence to verify that the military and Fabian Ver were involved, but he was acquitted in 1985 by the Sandiganbayan.

Fabian Ver was not allowed to return to the country during the administration of Presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel V Ramos.

Fabian Ver returned during the presidency of Joseph Estrada but faced lawsuits that linked him to the assassination of Ninoy Aquino and fall guy Rolando Galman.

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

Fabian Ver was played by Mervyn Samson in the 1988 television film A Dangerous Life and by Robin Padilla in the 2022 movie Maid in Malacanang.