Vicente Piccio Jr. Explained

Honorific Prefix:The Honorable
Vicente Mondéjar Piccio
Birth Name:Vicente Piccio y Mondéjar
Birth Date:March 1, 1927
Birth Place:Iloílo, Iloílo, Philippine Islands
Citizenship:Philippine
Death Place:Belison, Antique, Philippines
Mayor of Belison
Term Start:2007
Term End:January 2009
Predecessor:Christopher Piccio
Title2:Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force
Rank:Major general
Term Start2:April 5, 1982
Term End2:February 1986
Profession:Soldier
Spouse:Nena Hernández Piccio
Children:Vincent Bernard
Elizabeth Mary
Philip Gregory
Bernard
Robert Ephrem
Christopher
Paul Anthony
Resting Place:Libingan ng mga Bayani

Vicente Mondéjar Piccio (March 1, 1927–April 28, 2015) was a Philippine Air Force major general.

Career

Piccio entered the Philippine Air Force Flying School in 1949 and graduated in 1951.[1] Commissioned as second lieutenant in the reserve force, he was assigned as flight commander and instructor at Fernando Air Base in Lipa. A year later, he transferred to Basa Air Base in Floridablanca where he transitioned in the P-51 Mustang. In 1954, he completed the Squadron Officers Course at the Air Force Officer School. He was promoted to first lieutenant on December 2, 1954, and integrated into the regular force on 29 December 1955. He was promoted to captain on 7 April 1956. He was appointed Division Commander of the 3rd Air Division in 1978 and promoted to brigadier general on 11 July 1979. On 16 July 1980, he was designated as the commanding officer of the Aviation Security Command and in 1981 became the vice-commander of the Philippine Air Force in concurrent capacity. In the same year, he was appointed president of Military Commission Number 5. After a year, on April 5, 1982, he became commanding general of the Philippine Air Force.[2] On May 2 of the same year he was promoted to major general.

Piccio was responsible for issuing in 1985 a directive banning taxpayer-subsidized Philippine Air Force personnel from traveling or gaining employment abroad “without presidential clearance or authority”.[3]

People Power Revolution

Piccio was noted as having been the commander of the Philippine Air Force during the 1986 People Power Revolution. During the revolution, he lost effective control over the air force after the defection of a number of elite helicopter pilots, led by Col. Antonio Sotelo, from the 15th Strike Wing.[4] [5] These pilots, in turn, provided air cover for the rebel forces under Defense Minister Juan Ponce-Enrile and Philippine Constabulary Chief Lt. Gen. Fidel V. Ramos

The loss of the elite air-force pilots, analysts and historians say,[6] [7] was key to the eventual success of the four-day civilian-backed nonviolent revolution that toppled the Marcos administration. For his loyalty to the formal chain of command under Chief of Staff Fabián Ver, Piccio was branded as a "stooge".[7]

Personal life

Piccio was born in Iloilo City to a family from the Karay-a town of Dueñas.[8] He grew up in Maasin,[9] another Karay-a town.[8] He later married Nena Hernández of Belison, Antique and with her had seven children: Vincent Bernard, Elizabeth Mary, Philip Gregory “Dobol P”, Bernard, Robert Ephrem, Christopher and Paul Anthony. He had 7 grandchildren including: Alexandra Piccio, Christopher "C. J." Piccio, Roberto Piccio, Paula Piccio, Ariana Castrence, and Julian “Ian” Castrence. He died on April 28, 2015, in Belison.[10]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.paf.mil.ph/index.php/about-us/12-cg-paf/26-major-general-jose-l-de-leon-jr-0 Biography of the "Systems General" Vicente M. Piccio
  2. Questions over Marcos and military changes spark coup rumors. March 5, 1985. The Christian Science Monitor.
  3. Web site: B. Zamora. Fe. 2005-10-23. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Moonlighting. June 19, 2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060101093634/http://news.inq7.net/opinion/index.php?index=1&story_id=54221 . January 1, 2006 . bot: unknown . mdy-all.
  4. Web site: 15th SW Commanders. Philippine Air Force. 2011-08-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20111007035730/http://www.15thstrikewing.mil.ph/commanders.htm . 2011-10-07 . dead .
  5. Crisóstomo, Isabelo. 1987. Cory: Profile of a President. Branden Publishing Company: Boston.
  6. Web site: 20 Filipinos 20 Years after People Power: Fidel V. Ramos. Tordesillas. 2006-02-02. Ellen. Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.
  7. Web site: Reporter's Notes on the EDSA Revolt. Pelayo. Nonnie. Philippine Star. 2022-02-24.
  8. Web site: Ugsad kg Kinaray·a. Alex C. Delos Santos. C. de los Santos. Alex. 2007. Hiraya Media Arts.
  9. News: A Hero's Burial for Gen. Vicente Piccio, Jr.. Philippine News Agency. 2015-05-27.
  10. Web site: NECROLOGICAL SERVICE PARA KAY DATING MAJOR GENERAL VICENTE M. PICCIO JR. ISASAGAWA SA SABADO. dobolp.com . 8 June 2015.