Rafael Ileto
Encyclopedia
Rafael M. Ileto served as the 22nd Secretary of the Department of National Defense
(DND) of the Philippines
. He was also became the Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
(AFP). He also served as Philippine Ambassador to Turkey
, Iran
, Cambodia
, Thailand
, and Laos
.
.
Ileto then entered the University of the Philippines
pursuing an Engineering degree for the first two years, but later entered the Philippine Military Academy
in 1940. Topping his class in PMA, Ileto gained his appointment to the United States Military Academy
in West Point, through the Foreign Cadet Program. He finished with the accelerated Class of 1943 (which actually graduated in 1942), along with prominent members such as Brig. Gen. Robin Olds
, Maj. Gen. Harold Parfitt, Brig. Gen. Robert F. McDermott
, and Gen. Bernard W. Rogers
.
for three months in Fort Benning
, Georgia
. From there he joined the 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment
in Camp San Luis Obispo
, California
, which departed on September 19, 1943, to join the Pacific Theater of Operations
- beginning with the New Guinea Campaign
.
In New Guinea, Lt. Ileto transferred to the famed Alamo Scouts
of the Sixth United States Army. With the Alamo Scouts, Ileto saw action in southern Samar
during the Battle of Leyte
, and thereafter in the Invasion of Lingayen Gulf
on January 9, 1945.
On January 30, 1945, Lt. Ileto with the Alamo Scouts under the command of Lt. Col. Henry Mucci
, successfully rescued 516 Prisoners of War held by the Imperial Japanese Army
's POW Camp in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija. This has become to date the most successful rescue mission of the United States Army
, and is known as the Raid at Cabanatuan
.
After the Liberation of Manila, Lt. Ileto married Ms. Olga Clemena at the Command and General Staff School in Fort Leavenworth
, Kansas
, while taking a short course for lower staff officers. Her returned to the Philippines thereafter, and helped in rebuilding the post-war Philippine Military Academy.
In 1947, he was deployed to Okinawa, and took on early retirement from the service in 1949.
In 1950, he enlisted once more, with the Philippine Army
this time, and was first assigned in the General Headquarters (GHQ). It was here that he met once more Gen. Alfonso Arellano, whom Ileto acquainted during World War II. Both officers came with the idea to constitute a special forces
unit in the same fashion as that of the Alamo Scouts. Gen. Arellano gave the task to Ileto to organize the 1st Scout Ranger Regiment
, which was established on November 25, 1950 at the Scout Ranger Training Unit (SRTU) in Fort Bonifacio. Capt. Ileto commanded the unit until 1955.
From commanding the Scout Ranger Regimen, Capt. Ileto was designated foreign affairs attaché to Saigon and Vientiane
. After this diplomatic stint, he was assigned with once more to the GHQ J-2 Intelligence, as a staff officer. From there he was appointed as Operations Chief of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency
from 1959 to 1964.
He again went back for further studies in 1965 in the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, and later joined the Command General Staff College at Fort Bonifacio
. Thereafter, he became Commanding General of the 1st PC Zone, covering all provinces north of Manila
before being promoted to Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence (J-2) in 1969.
Col. Ileto once more returned to the United States to study under the Defense Resources Management Course at the University of Pittsburgh
, Pennsylvania
in 1969. From there Brig. Gen. Ileto was appointed Commanding General of the Philippine Army
, a post which he held until 1971. When Pres. Ferdinand Marcos
declared Martial Law
on September 21, 1972, Ileto was one of the few generals who opposed the President, losing favor for the next series of promotions in the patronage politics that has already begun in the promotion system in the AFP.
In 1973, Ileto became Deputy Chief of Staff of the AFP was then promoted to Major General
, then Vice Chief of Staff as a Lieutenant General
from 1975 until his retirement in 1978. Concurrent to this position, Gen. Ileto also served as the Philippine Ambassador to Iran
and Turkey
from 1975 to 1980, and to Thailand
, Cambodia
, and Laos
from 1980 to 1986.
During the People Power Revolution, Amb. Ileto played as mediator between the camp of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos
and the opposition. Amb. Ileto was then appointed as Undersecretary of Defense by Pres. Corazon Aquino
.
Upon the resignation of Juan Ponce Enrile
after an alleged coup attempt against Pres. Corazon Aquino, Ileto was appointed as the Secretary National Defense on November 23, 1986. He resigned from this government position after a falling out with the President on January 21, 1988.
after a heart attack at the age of 82. He was buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani
in Fort Bonifacio on June 23 with full military honors.
|-
Department of National Defense (Philippines)
The Department of National Defense is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for guarding against external and internal threats to peace and security in the country...
(DND) of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. He was also became the Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines is composed of the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force...
(AFP). He also served as Philippine Ambassador to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, and Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
.
Early years
Rafael Ileto was born on October 24, 1920 in San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. He took up his primary education in his hometown, and finished his secondary education in Nueva Ecija High School in Cabanatuan CityCabanatuan City
The City of Cabanatuan is a first class, urban city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. It is considered the commercial, industrial and educational hub of the province. According to the latest census, it has a population of 259,267 people in 45,424 households which makes it the largest...
.
Ileto then entered the University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
pursuing an Engineering degree for the first two years, but later entered the Philippine Military Academy
Philippine Military Academy
The Philippine Military Academy or PMA, is the Philippine military school for the Armed Forces of the Philippines . PMA was established on December 21, 1936 by the virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 1 . PMA is located in Baguio, Benguet province...
in 1940. Topping his class in PMA, Ileto gained his appointment to the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
in West Point, through the Foreign Cadet Program. He finished with the accelerated Class of 1943 (which actually graduated in 1942), along with prominent members such as Brig. Gen. Robin Olds
Robin Olds
Robin Olds was an American fighter pilot and general officer in the U.S. Air Force. He was a "triple ace", with a combined total of 16 victories in World War II and the Vietnam War. He retired in 1973 as a brigadier general....
, Maj. Gen. Harold Parfitt, Brig. Gen. Robert F. McDermott
Robert F. McDermott
Brigadier General Robert Francis McDermott was the first permanent Dean of the Faculty at the United States Air Force Academy, and later served as Chairman and CEO of USAA. He is often referred to as the "Father of Modern Military Education" for his contributions to that field...
, and Gen. Bernard W. Rogers
Bernard W. Rogers
Bernard William Rogers was an American general who served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army, and later as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe and Commander in Chief, United States European Command....
.
Military & Political career
Upon graduating from West Point, 2nd. Lt. Ileto entered the Infantry SchoolUnited States Army Infantry School
The United States Army Infantry School is located in Fort Benning, Georgia. It is made up of the following components:*192d Infantry Brigade...
for three months in Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. From there he joined the 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment
1st Filipino Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment was a segregated United States Army infantry regiment made up of Filipinos and Filipino Americans from the continental United States and a few veterans of the Battle of the Philippines that saw combat during World War II. It was formed and activated at Camp San...
in Camp San Luis Obispo
Camp San Luis Obispo
Camp San Luis Obispo is the original home of the California Army National Guard. It served as an Infantry Division Camp and Cantonment Area for the United States Army during World War II.-History:...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, which departed on September 19, 1943, to join the Pacific Theater of Operations
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
- beginning with the New Guinea Campaign
New Guinea campaign
The New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II.Before the war, the island of New Guinea was split between:...
.
In New Guinea, Lt. Ileto transferred to the famed Alamo Scouts
Alamo scouts
The Alamo Scouts was a reconnaissance unit of the Sixth United States Army in the Pacific Theater of Operations during World War II...
of the Sixth United States Army. With the Alamo Scouts, Ileto saw action in southern Samar
Samar
Samar, formerly and also known as Western Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catbalogan City and covers the western portion of Samar as well as several islands in the Samar Sea located to the west of the mainland...
during the Battle of Leyte
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte in the Pacific campaign of World War II was the invasion and conquest of the island of Leyte in the Philippines by American and Filipino guerrilla forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, who fought against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Philippines led by...
, and thereafter in the Invasion of Lingayen Gulf
Invasion of Lingayen Gulf
The Liberation of Lingayen Gulf was an Allied amphibious operation in the Philippines during World War II. In the early morning of 9 January 1945, an Allied force commanded by Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf began approaching the shores of Lingayen. U.S...
on January 9, 1945.
On January 30, 1945, Lt. Ileto with the Alamo Scouts under the command of Lt. Col. Henry Mucci
Henry Mucci
Henry Andrew Mucci was a colonel in the United States Army Rangers. In January 1945, during World War II, he led a force of 128 Army Rangers on a mission which rescued 512 survivors of the Bataan Death March from Cabanatuan Prison Camp, despite being heavily outnumbered.- Youth :Mucci was born in...
, successfully rescued 516 Prisoners of War held by the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
's POW Camp in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija. This has become to date the most successful rescue mission of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, and is known as the Raid at Cabanatuan
Raid at Cabanatuan
The Raid at Cabanatuan was a rescue of Allied prisoners of war and civilians from a Japanese camp near Cabanatuan City, in the Philippines...
.
After the Liberation of Manila, Lt. Ileto married Ms. Olga Clemena at the Command and General Staff School in Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, while taking a short course for lower staff officers. Her returned to the Philippines thereafter, and helped in rebuilding the post-war Philippine Military Academy.
In 1947, he was deployed to Okinawa, and took on early retirement from the service in 1949.
In 1950, he enlisted once more, with the Philippine Army
Philippine Army
The Philippine Army is the ground arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Tagalog is Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas. On July 23, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III appointed Maj. Gen...
this time, and was first assigned in the General Headquarters (GHQ). It was here that he met once more Gen. Alfonso Arellano, whom Ileto acquainted during World War II. Both officers came with the idea to constitute a special forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
unit in the same fashion as that of the Alamo Scouts. Gen. Arellano gave the task to Ileto to organize the 1st Scout Ranger Regiment
1st Scout Ranger Regiment
The Scout Rangers, known officially as the First Scout Ranger Regiment, is a Philippine Army Special Operations Command unit, and specializes in anti-guerrilla warfare...
, which was established on November 25, 1950 at the Scout Ranger Training Unit (SRTU) in Fort Bonifacio. Capt. Ileto commanded the unit until 1955.
From commanding the Scout Ranger Regimen, Capt. Ileto was designated foreign affairs attaché to Saigon and Vientiane
Vientiane
-Geography:Vientiane is situated on a bend of the Mekong river, which forms the border with Thailand at this point.-Climate:Vientiane features a tropical wet and dry climate with a distinct monsoon season and a dry season. Vientiane’s dry season spans from November through March. April marks the...
. After this diplomatic stint, he was assigned with once more to the GHQ J-2 Intelligence, as a staff officer. From there he was appointed as Operations Chief of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency
National Intelligence Coordinating Agency
The National Intelligence Coordinating Agency is the primary intelligence gathering and analysis arm of the Philippine government, in charge of carrying out overt, covert, and clandestine intelligence programs...
from 1959 to 1964.
He again went back for further studies in 1965 in the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, and later joined the Command General Staff College at Fort Bonifacio
Fort Bonifacio
Fort Bonifacio is a highly urbanized district in Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines. The district is named after the main Philippine Army camp in Metro Manila, Fort Andres Bonifacio, which in turn was named after the famous Philippine revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio...
. Thereafter, he became Commanding General of the 1st PC Zone, covering all provinces north of Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
before being promoted to Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence (J-2) in 1969.
Col. Ileto once more returned to the United States to study under the Defense Resources Management Course at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in 1969. From there Brig. Gen. Ileto was appointed Commanding General of the Philippine Army
Commanding General of the Philippine Army
The Commanding General of the Philippine Army is the overall commander and senior general of the Philippine Army, the ground arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.-Lineage of Commanding Generals:...
, a post which he held until 1971. When Pres. Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
declared Martial Law
Martial Law in the Philippines
Martial law in the Philippines refers to the period of Philippine history where Philippine Presidents declare a proclamation to control unpacified places under the rule of Military, it is usually given when threatened by popular protests, or to crack down on the opposition...
on September 21, 1972, Ileto was one of the few generals who opposed the President, losing favor for the next series of promotions in the patronage politics that has already begun in the promotion system in the AFP.
In 1973, Ileto became Deputy Chief of Staff of the AFP was then promoted to Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
, then Vice Chief of Staff as a Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
from 1975 until his retirement in 1978. Concurrent to this position, Gen. Ileto also served as the Philippine Ambassador to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
from 1975 to 1980, and to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, and Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
from 1980 to 1986.
During the People Power Revolution, Amb. Ileto played as mediator between the camp of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
and the opposition. Amb. Ileto was then appointed as Undersecretary of Defense by Pres. Corazon Aquino
Corazon Aquino
Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino was the 11th President of the Philippines and the first woman to hold that office in Philippine history. She is best remembered for leading the 1986 People Power Revolution, which toppled Ferdinand Marcos and restored democracy in the Philippines...
.
Upon the resignation of Juan Ponce Enrile
Juan Ponce Enrile
Juan Ponce Enrile is a Filipino politician. As a protege of President Ferdinand Marcos, he served as Justice Secretary and then Defense Secretary under the Marcos regime. He later became one of the leaders of the 1986 People Power Movement that drove Marcos from power...
after an alleged coup attempt against Pres. Corazon Aquino, Ileto was appointed as the Secretary National Defense on November 23, 1986. He resigned from this government position after a falling out with the President on January 21, 1988.
Later life
On June 19, 2003 he expired at the Philippine Heart CenterPhilippine Heart Center
The Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City was established through Presidential Decree No. 673 issued by president Ferdinand E. Marcos in 1975. Its original name was the Philippine Heart Center for Asia and was changed to its current form in 1975. It was inaugurated on Valentine's Day, February 14,...
after a heart attack at the age of 82. He was buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani
Libingan ng mga Bayani
is a national cemetery within Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City, Metro Manila in the Philippines. It was established as a fitting resting place for Filipino military personnel from privates to generals, as well as heroes and martyrs...
in Fort Bonifacio on June 23 with full military honors.
External links
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